A light aircraft operated by the Jazirah Aviation Club crashed into the sea off the coast of Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of both the pilot and co-pilot.
“A light aircraft operated by the Jazirah Aviation Club crashed into the sea, claiming the lives of both the pilot and co-pilot,” said the General Civil Aviation Authority in a statement.
The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) reported that the victims were of Indian and Pakistani nationality.
The crash occurred shortly after takeoff near the Cove Rotana Hotel along the beach, according to Barrons.
Initial reports suggest that the aircraft lost radio contact and later attempted an emergency landing.
Despite resuscitation efforts, both occupants succumbed to their injuries.
Khaleej Times reported:
Among the deceased was 26-year-old Indian doctor Sulaymaan Al Majid, who was born and raised in the UAE. His father, Majid Mukarram, told Khaleej Times that the crash occurred shortly after takeoff at 2pm near the Cove Rotana Hotel, close to the beach. The pilot, a 26-year-old Pakistani woman, also lost her life in the crash.
Dr Sulaymaan had hired the light aircraft for sightseeing. His family, including his father, mother, and younger brother, were at the aviation club to watch the experience. Sulaymaan’s younger brother was scheduled to take the next flight.
“At first, we were told the glider had lost radio contact,” Majid recounted. “Later, we were informed it had made an emergency landing and that the occupants had been taken to the hospital. When we reached the hospital, we were told that both were critically injured and undergoing resuscitation efforts. Sulaymaan passed away before we could see him, and his time of death was recorded as past 4.30pm,” Majid added.
Majid expressed the family’s heartbreak. “We were looking forward to the New Year as a family, planning to celebrate together. Instead, our lives have been shattered. It feels like time has stopped for us. Sulaymaan was the light of our lives, and we don’t know how to move forward without him,” he added.
Sulaymaan was a clinical fellow at the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust in the UK. He served as Honorary Secretary and later Co-Chair of the Northern Resident Doctors Committee of the British Medical Association, where he advocated for pay restoration and the reclassification of “junior doctors” as “resident doctors.”
