A mother remains in pursuit of closure nearly a year after the devastating Air India crash that claimed the lives of 241 passengers and crew, including her son, Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek. Amanda Donaghey, Fiongal’s mother, has expressed her ongoing frustration and sorrow following an ordeal that has left her without her son’s remains and with more questions than answers.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Amanda-Donaghey-060126-692f76a568bd460bbcc9c54b16dd53d0.jpg)
The tragic incident occurred shortly after takeoff on June 12, 2025, when Fiongal and his husband, Jamie, were returning to the United Kingdom after celebrating their wedding anniversary in India. Miraculously, only one person aboard the aircraft survived, while 19 additional victims were tragically lost on the ground. The magnitude of the crash has left families grappling with profound grief and uncertainty.
In an interview broadcast on the ITV programme, This Morning, Donaghey revealed her heartbreaking experience following the crash. She initially thought her son and his husband had returned home safely. “I thought they were already home,” she recounted, reflecting on the moment she learned of the tragedy. Despite this shattering news, she bravely made her way to India within days, hoping to aid in the identification process.
Upon her arrival, Donaghey provided a blood sample in a bid to assist authorities with identifying her son. After some time, she received notification that a match had been found, and she was told she could return to the UK with partial remains of her son. It was only upon her return that she received a call from the local coroner, revealing the shocking news that the remains in the casket were not Fiongal’s at all.
“There was no Fiongal in the casket,” she said, lamenting that she had unknowingly carried the remains of another individual back home. This revelation hit her hard, as she described feeling “very personally uncomfortable” about the situation. “I went there to get him and I failed,” she expressed, the anguish evident in her words.
In a separate interview conducted in the aftermath of the incident, Fiongal’s sister, Arwen Greenlaw, stated that DNA evidence found in her brother’s headphones had confirmed that the casket’s contents did not belong to him. She characterised the situation as an overwhelming disappointment, describing the hope that Fiongal’s remains would have been returned to the family following the crash. “If he had not been matched we could get our heads around that,” she added with palpable grief.
Donaghey has spoken out about the broader context of the aftermath, expressing her belief that some remains may have been destroyed for public health considerations. Fiongal’s sister acknowledged the challenging circumstances faced by recovery teams, offering compassion for those tasked with the difficult job of sifting through the wreckage. However, she stressed that Fiongal’s remains were indeed found, creating a sense of urgency for the family to understand why they have yet to receive them.
As the one-year mark of the tragedy approaches, Donaghey is set to return to India in search of clarity regarding her son’s remains. “I don’t hold much hope, but I would like to do that,” she stated, underlining her determination to secure answers from the appropriate authorities. This journey reflects not only her personal quest for closure but also the ongoing struggle many families face in the wake of such disasters.
To date, an official cause for the Air India crash has yet to be revealed. A preliminary report from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau hinted that fuel supply to the aircraft’s engines was disrupted moments before the crash. As investigations continue, families like Donaghey’s are left navigating their grief while seeking justice and accountability for their loved ones.
In the face of this heartbreaking ordeal, Amanda Donaghey’s story is a reminder of the profound tragedy that unfolds in the aftermath of air disasters, where countless lives are altered forever. The search for answers and closure remains a journey marked by hope amidst deep sorrow.