India, June 14 -- As India grapples with renewed concerns over air safety following a recent Air India incident, memories of one of the country's worst aviation tragedies have resurfaced in Karnataka's Mangaluru. It's been 15 years since the fatal crash of Air India Express flight IX 812 - a day seared into the minds of survivors and the families of 158 people who lost their lives.

For K Pradeep, one of the eight survivors of the 2010 crash, the passage of time has not dulled the memory. Now working as a civil contractor in Mangaluru, he returns every year on May 22 to the crash memorial at Kulur. There, in quiet remembrance, he lays flowers, prays, and reflects on what he calls his miraculous escape.

"I believe it was the blessin...