Heart-wrenching stories have surfaced about the lives behind the cockpit following the AI-171 plane crash in Ahmedabad.
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the seasoned pilot at the helm, had logged an impressive 8,300 hours of flying experience. A resident of Powai, Mumbai, Sabharwal lived with his nonagenarian father, to whom he was devoted.
According to reports, only a few days ago before the fatal air crash, he told his father that he would be quitting his job to look after him full time.
Neighbours echoed this deep sense of responsibility and care. Whenever he flew out, Sumeet would ask them to keep an eye on his father.
The Sabharwals have long been rooted in aviation. Captain Sabharwal’s father retired from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and the legacy continues with his two nephews, both of whom are pilots.
Sanjeev Pai, family friend of Sumeet Sabharwal, was quoted as saying, “I am a retired Wing Commander and have worked with Air India staff in every kind of situation. Captain Sumeet was a very good and experienced pilot. His death is a huge loss for Air India. He was such a calm and peaceful person, an excellent pilot. There were never any complaints about him – he was very professional in both his behaviour and in his dealings with people.”
The tragedy also claimed the life of First Officer Clive Kunder, who had 1,100 hours of flying experience. He, too, hailed from a family passionate about aviation—his mother being a former Air India flight attendant. At the time of the incident, his parents were in Sydney, visiting their daughter.
As the aviation community grieves, these stories remind us that behind every uniform are lives of dedication, sacrifice, and close-knit ties to the very skies they served.
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