Rohit Pandey, the SpiceJet technician who died in an accident during aircraft maintenance at Kolkata airport, was a bright student and the main earning member of his family, his former trainer said here Wednesday.
Rohit (22) was killed after he got stuck between the hydraulic door flaps of the main landing gear of an aircraft during maintenance early Wednesday.
Praveen Vishwakarma, trainer at the Thakur Institute Of Aviation Technology, said he was shocked by the news.
Describing Rohit as a bright student, Vishwakarma told PTI that he had got the job with SpiceJet in campus selection last year.
"During his three years at the institute, I found him to be very adept, especially in learning the ropes of maintenance," he said.
Rohit, resident of Poisar in suburban Kandivali, had lost his father a few years ago.
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He has two sisters and his mother did odd jobs as the family's financial condition was not too good, Vishwakarma said.
"He was the sole hope for his family. Now he is gone," he added.
Teachers and students from the institute visited Rohit's house after learning about the tragedy.
"We will do our best to help the family but the company should also come forward to support them," said Vishwakarma.
The accident happened at 1.45 am, according to a Kolkata airport official.
"Pandey was doing maintenance work in right hand main landing gear wheel well area of a Q400 aircraft.... Inadvertently, the main landing gear hydraulic door closed and he got stuck between the hydraulic door flaps," SpiceJet said in a statement.