In a chilling account of survival and loss, the wife of an Air India passenger has revealed the horrifying final moments before her husband perished during a catastrophic mid-air engine explosion aboard a Boeing 747.
The nightmare unfolded 45 minutes after Flight AI-142 departed from Mumbai, bound for Newark, when a deafening explosion rocked the aircraft over the Atlantic Ocean. Passengers described scenes of pure terror as the plane's engine disintegrated, sending shrapnel tearing through the fuselage.
The Final Goodbye
"He just said 'I love you' and that was it," the grieving widow recounted through tears. Her husband, a 42-year-old businessman, was among those closest to the engine blast epicentre. Despite frantic efforts from fellow passengers and crew, he succumbed to his injuries before the aircraft could make its emergency landing.
Chaos in the Skies
Eyewitnesses described panic and confusion as oxygen masks deployed and the aircraft plunged into darkness. The explosion of the Pratt & Whitney engine created a gaping hole in the aircraft's structure, with debris striking multiple passengers and causing severe damage to the wing.
"We thought we were going to die," one survivor stated. "The noise was unimaginable - like a bomb going off. People were screaming, crying, and praying as the plane shook violently."
Heroic Emergency Response
The flight crew's professionalism during the crisis has been widely praised. Captain Ravi Chauhan and his team managed to stabilise the damaged aircraft and execute a successful emergency landing at London's Heathrow Airport, potentially saving hundreds of lives.
Medical teams rushed to meet the aircraft, but tragically, one passenger could not be revived. Several others required hospital treatment for injuries sustained during the incident.
Investigation Underway
Aviation authorities from both India and the UK have launched a full investigation into the catastrophic engine failure. Preliminary reports suggest a possible uncontained engine failure, though the exact cause remains under examination.
Boeing and Pratt & Whitney have pledged full cooperation with the investigation as questions mount about the safety of older 747 aircraft still in service.
The tragedy has sent shockwaves through the aviation industry, raising urgent questions about aircraft maintenance protocols and emergency response procedures for ageing fleets operating long-haul routes over open water.
