Dubai: A sense of numbness and disbelief gave way to anger as relatives of the victims of the Mangalore air crash tried to come to terms with the fact that their loved ones had died because the pilot fell asleep and ignored repeated warnings.
The Court of Inquiry appointed by the Indian government to probe the May 22 crash concluded that flight commander Zlatko Glusica was disoriented after his "nap", thus slowing his reaction as he tried to land the Air India Express plane at Mangalore airport.
The IX 812 flight from Dubai overshot Mangalore airport's table-top runway, and crashed into a gorge killing 158 passengers onboard the no-frills flight.
Abdul Rahman, 52, a manager at a shipping company, lost his wife and only son.
He vowed to bring those responsible to book and fight for justice to ensure Air India compensates families who lost their loved ones in the Mangalore crash.
Life without meaning
"I know it is all over for me. My life has no meaning and no hope left. I have lost my wife and my nine-year-old son, Zeeshan," he said.
"God gave him to me after six years of marriage and it kills me to know that I lost him because of a sleepy pilot. How can I get justice?"
Abdul Wahid Kazi, who lost his brother and his entire family, said his loved ones were burnt alive.
"A careless act by the pilot cost hundreds of lives. It is ultimately the responsibility of Air India [Express] to ensure that experienced and responsible people are put in the cockpit," Kazi said.
Five members of his family — his brother Ebrahim Sahib Hassan Sahib, Ebrahim's wife and two children aged 16 and nine, and Sahib's daughter — perished in the crash.
Kazi said that while he still flies to Mangalore, he has no choice but to leave his life in the hands of God.
"Do we have any choice? We hope such gross mistakes are not repeated and measures are taken to ensure the safety of passengers. No other family should [face a] similar fate in future," Kazi said.
