When the news flashed on my screen, at first I couldn鈥檛 believe it. In this modern day and age, when planes are so much more state of the art, how can a jetliner just drop out of the sky and crash? The story of Air India flight 171 in Ahmedabad is beyond tragic. The hopes and dreams of over 270 people just vanished in 32 seconds as the plane went down immediately after take off. From the passengers and crew on board to the poor medical students on the ground whose hostel was hit. No one had time to even think or act, it all happened so quickly. Investigators may take months to find out the cause. It has been heartbreaking to see the families struggling with their grief and pain. I refuse to speculate about why this happened. Enough has already been said on it. And that is part of the problem. In the age of social media, we all want quick answers to complex issues. We must know right away about why a Boeing 787 Dreamliner had a catastrophic accident. We don鈥檛 want to wait for a proper probe with all the evidence. The media talks to any and every ex pilot or aviation 鈥渆xpert鈥 it can find. And of course everyone on social media is suddenly an aviation expert too, offering half baked theories, even conspiratorial ones. .Nervous flyerWhich is why the impact of Flight 171 has been felt so far and wide. I have been a nervous flyer for many years now, even though I travel all the time and in fact fly almost every week. As a reporter, I covered the civil aviation ministry for many years. I know my fear of flying is irrational. And I鈥檓 working on getting better, but most importantly, I make sure it does not stop me from living my life. There are so many others like me for whom the Air India accident has triggered a deep sense of unease. It therefore does not help when the media flashes every air incident as 鈥渂reaking news鈥. .Air India crashes from Dubai-Mangalore to Ahmedabad: Why scars won鈥檛 heal.Everyday, there are millions of people flying at any given point around the world. Statistics show that flying is still the safest mode of travel. You are much more likely to die in a road accident than a plane crash. A study done by MIT in 2024 showed that commercial air travel keeps getting safer. The study found that the risk of a fatality from commercial air travel was 1 per every 13.7 million passenger boardings globally in the 2018-2022 period 鈥 a big improvement from 1 per 7.9 million boardings in 2008-2017 and a huge step up from the 1 per every 350,000 boardings that occurred in 1968-1977. .Technical snagsSo it is also natural that there will be technical snags or other issues that affect aircraft on a daily basis. Some more serious than others. But at the moment every small snag is being reported by a breathless media as a major crisis. This is only deepening anxieties. I am not for a moment suggesting that any gaps in aviation safety should not be reported. They must be, with robust facts and questions for the authorities. But sensationalising any and every incident is wrong..Heartbroken Dubai woman recalls deep bond with Indian friend killed in Air India crash.Air India is going through a tough time. I have started flying Air India internationally again recently and it has been incredible on their new Airbus 350s. Far superior to the western airlines that operate here. Domestically too I have liked flying Air India where the staff is helpful and courteous. There are huge legacy issues that the airline is facing and I hope they overcome those soon. Why do so many of us fear flying? For some, it鈥檚 the discomfort of being in an enclosed space. For others like me, it鈥檚 getting used to not being in control and feeling vulnerable. Immediately after the Air India crash, some of my friends who have a similar phobia messaged to say they would take the train as far as possible. But I refuse to let this accident stop me from flying. I don鈥檛 like it but it鈥檚 the fastest way to get to my destination. Slowly but surely I hope to overcome this fear. Until then, I鈥檓 getting ready for the next flight. Tomorrow morning..Nidhi Razdan is an award-winning journalist. She has extensively reported on politics and diplomacy.