Maybe if she had continued her BAF studies, she would have been alive today,” said a Panvel neighbour of 23-year-old Maithili Patil, who was on board the ill-fated flight A1-171. Belonging to a financially backwards family, Maithili had discontinued her education in Bachelor of Accounts and Finance from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj University in Panvel as she always wanted to fly high in the sky.

“She was a cheerful and determined girl and had become a beacon of hope for many, especially the young girls in her small village,” said Sarpanch Harish Mhatre of Nhava village, Panvel on Friday. Mourning her loss, the college has also shared a condolence message.

The family of Maithili gather at her home in Panvel on Friday after hearing about the tragedy