A pilot and her companion were killed when a light aircraft from Jazirah Aviation Club crashed off the coast of Ras Al Khaimah on Thursday (December 26). The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) confirmed the accident on Sunday, stating that investigations are underway to determine the cause.
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."
The family, who resides in Sharjah, is preparing for Sulaymaan's funeral, which will take place at Al Ghusai graveyard at 8.15pm on Sunday. His younger brother shared the tragic news on Instagram, requesting privacy during this difficult time.
Sulaymaan, a graduate of Dubai Scholars School, was remembered as a bright and ambitious individual with a passion for medicine and advocacy.
The GCAA stated that its Air Accident Investigation Sector received a report on the crash and that work teams and relevant authorities continue investigating the incident. The GCAA extended its condolences to the families and relatives of the victims.
This tragedy follows another aviation incident in the UAE last month. On November 12, a flight instructor was killed when a training aircraft lost radar contact 20 minutes after takeoff and later crashed. The instructor's body was found on the shores of Fujairah.
