A 17-year-old Aryan Asari was doing what he loved, watching airplanes from the terrace of his father’s home in Ahmedabad, when tragedy struck before his eyes.
A Dreamliner 787-8 operated by Air India crashed moments after takeoff, erupting into flames and killing all 241 passengers on board, along with nearly 30 people on the ground.
Aryan recorded the devastating moment on his phone.
“At first, I thought it was just another plane,” Aryan told BBC Gujarati. “But then it started wobbling and crashing, it went down right in front of me.”
The video has since become a key piece of evidence for investigators and a harrowing symbol of one of the worst aviation disasters in India’s history.
The footage catapulted Aryan, a high school student and aviation enthusiast, into an unexpected and overwhelming spotlight.
“Reporters haven’t left us alone. They’ve been outside the house day and night,” Aryan’s father, Maganbhai Asari told BBC.
Once passionate about planes, Aryan now finds the sound of aircraft unbearable. “He’s so shaken, he doesn’t even want to use his phone anymore,” his father said.
Horrific
Aryan had long been fascinated by airplanes. His father, a retired soldier now working for Ahmedabad’s metro service, said Aryan would often run outside at the sound of an aircraft, hoping to catch a glimpse.
“Even from our village, he’d stare at the sky trying to see them,” Mr. Asari said. “When I moved to Ahmedabad, Aryan was excited that he’d finally be able to see them up close.”
It was Aryan’s first time visiting the city. He had come along with his sister, who was appearing for a police entrance exam.
Aryan used the opportunity to explore, and to film planes from the rooftop of their modest three-story apartment near the airport.
Just an hour and a half after they arrived, Aryan was filming a plane when he noticed something wasn’t right.
“It was swaying, moving left and right,” he recalled. He kept the camera rolling, still unaware of what was unfolding until the aircraft spiraled downward and exploded into flames over Meghaninagar, a densely populated neighborhood.
Shocked and terrified, Aryan immediately called his father. “He was trembling, he just kept saying, ‘I saw it, papa. I saw it crash,'” Mr Asari said.
Although he was told not to share the video, Aryan, overwhelmed and scared, forwarded it to a few friends. The clip quickly went viral.
Soon after, the family was inundated with media requests, neighbors, and even police. Aryan was taken to the station to provide a statement. While some reports claimed he was detained, Mr Asari clarified it was simply a routine questioning.
But the emotional toll had already set in. “He was so disturbed, we sent him back to the village,” Mr Asari said.
Aryan has since returned to school, but things are far from normal. “His mother says every time his phone rings, he gets anxious,” said Mr Asari. “He’s still recovering. I believe with time, he’ll heal. But I doubt he’ll ever look up at the sky to watch a plane again.”
