Hours before a devastating crash took the lives of 241 people aboard Air India Flight 171, two passengers recorded a heartfelt video filled with gratitude and calm. You can still hear their voices—cheerful, reflective, and entirely unaware of what was to come. Their message, once a joyful travel memory, now serves as a chilling farewell to a trip that would end in tragedy.
A Joyful Goodbye Becomes A Final Message
Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, a couple from the United Kingdom who ran a spiritual wellness center, were among the victims of the crash. Just before boarding their flight from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, they shared a video online expressing how peaceful and fulfilled they felt. “We are at the airport. Just boarding. Goodbye, India,” Fiongal said while smiling into the camera.
Jamie, seated beside him, added warmly, “Bye, goodbye, 10-hour flight back to England.” Fiongal then said, “Going back happily, happily, happily calm,” with a serene expression. The couple had spent time traveling across India and described the journey as a spiritual experience. Their final moments, captured in that short clip, were filled with joy and appreciation for the memories they had made.
A Magical Trip Celebrated Hours Before Disaster
Just one day before the crash, the couple shared more thoughts about their time in India. In a video posted to social media, Fiongal reflected on what the experience meant to them. “So it’s our last night in India, and we have had a magical experience really, there have been some quite mind-blowing things that have happened,” he said.
Jamie added to the sentiment, sharing details about their final evening. “It would be so nice to remember this and share it with everybody because we really have been on quite a journey and then just spent the last night here in this amazing hotel and we’ve just had the most delicious thali food. It was a perfect way to round up the trip. So yeah excited to share it all with you actually.” These loving words now echo with painful weight as their lives ended just 30 seconds after takeoff.
Flight 171 Crashes Moments After Takeoff
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner had barely left the runway when disaster struck. Within 30 seconds of taking off from Ahmedabad, the plane went down in a catastrophic crash. Out of the 242 people on board, only one survived. Investigators later revealed that 270 bodies were recovered from the scene, indicating that at least 29 people on the ground also lost their lives.
This devastating event now stands as one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India in recent decades. The only survivor was British passenger Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who had been seated in 11A. He somehow managed to escape the burning wreckage and walk away with his life, making his survival both miraculous and sobering.
Families, Friends, And Communities Mourn Worldwide
Other victims included entire families and professionals whose lives were cut short. Akeel Nanabawa from Gloucester, along with his wife Hannaa Vorajee and their 4-year-old daughter Sara, were also on the doomed flight. The Gloucester Muslim Community released a statement mourning the loss. “During this moment of overwhelming sorrow, our hearts go out to all those left behind. No words can truly ease the pain of such a profound loss, but we pray that the family may find solace in the tremendous outpouring of compassion and solidarity from communities across the world.”
Their story resonated deeply as people across the UK and India shared condolences. The tragedy reminded everyone how quickly a joyful trip can become a nightmare. These moments of solidarity show that grief, while deeply personal, is also universally understood.
A Promising Young Stewardess And Influencer Among The Victims
Another life lost in the crash was that of Roshni Rajendra Songhare, a cabin crew member for Air India and a well-known travel influencer. She had built a large following on Instagram, with over 54,000 fans watching her journey through global destinations. Her Instagram feed had become a source of inspiration and joy for many people who followed her adventures.
Her death was confirmed by Ravindra Chavan, a lawmaker from Maharashtra. He called the tragedy “heart-wrenching” and said, “We are profoundly saddened by the tragic demise of Ms. Roshni Songhare from Dombivli in the devastating plane crash in Ahmedabad. May her soul attain eternal peace.” She represented not only the airline’s front-line team but also a generation of young professionals documenting their lives for the world to see.
Passengers Represented Multiple Countries And Backgrounds
Flight 171 was an international flight carrying people of various nationalities. The airline confirmed that the passengers included 169 Indian citizens, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian. Among the deceased were five medical students, whose futures had just begun. At least 50 others were injured when the aircraft collided with a dining facility at a medical college.
The force of the crash left physical destruction and emotional devastation in its path. Families who had waited at airports or tracked the flight from home were left with silence instead of reunions. You could sense the collective grief rippling across borders, as every name and story made the scale of loss more personal and real.
The Worst Air Disaster In India Since 1996
This crash has now become the worst aviation disaster in India since November 12, 1996. That earlier tragedy involved a midair collision between a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight and a Kazakhstan Airlines flight over Charki Dadri in Haryana. All 349 people on board those two planes died. Now, with 241 lives lost on Flight 171 and additional deaths on the ground, the nation faces another heartbreaking chapter in its aviation history.
As investigators continue to examine what caused the crash, the focus remains on the victims and the families mourning them. The pain is still fresh. You can feel it in the words spoken, the videos shared, and the silence left behind.
How do you think aviation safety can be improved to prevent tragedies like this in the future? Let us know in the comments on Facebook.
Via: New York Post
