The Air India Dreamliner crash near Ahmedabad claimed 241 lives, including two pilots with vastly different journeys — veteran Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and young First Officer Clive Kunder.
The ill-fated AI-171, which was en route to London’s Gatwick Airport, had 230 passengers and 10 crew members on board. The Boeing 787-8 lost control shortly after takeoff, crashing within minutes.
Experience and Youth Lost Together
Captain Sabharwal and First Officer Kunder together logged approximately 9,300 flight hours, with Sabharwal alone having flown over 8,200 hours.
Sabharwal, a calm and composed professional, was deeply respected in aviation circles. A resident of Mumbai’s Powai, he came from a family steeped in aviation — his father was a former DGCA official, and his cousins were pilots too.
“He was such a calm and peaceful person, an excellent pilot,” said family friend Sanjeev Pai. “His death is a huge loss for Air India.”
Planned to Retire Soon
Just days before the tragic incident, Sabharwal had informed his 82-year-old father of his plan to retire from flying to care for him full-time.
“Only a few days ago, he told his father that he would be quitting his job to look after him full-time,” Shiv Sena MLA Dilip Lande said, while visiting the grieving family, as reported by The Times of India.
A Promising Career Cut Short
Meanwhile, Clive Kunder, with 1,100 hours of experience, had just started his professional flying journey. Aviation ran in his blood — his mother served as a flight crew member, and his early training included aircraft maintenance studies at the Bombay Flying Club.
Clive was raised in Mumbai’s Air India colony before moving with his family to Borivali. His sister, Kliene, who was in Sydney with their parents during the tragedy, expressed shock and heartbreak.
“My father Clifford and mother Rekha are with me in Sydney, and we have no information on the condition of my brother. We are leaving on Friday for Ahmedabad to find out how he is,” she told Hindustan Times.
Remembered by Friends and Celebrities
Actor Vikrant Massey mourned Clive’s passing, calling him a family friend. “My heart breaks for the families and loved ones of the ones who lost their lives… It pains even more to know that my uncle, Clifford Kunder, lost his son, Clive Kunder,” he wrote on Instagram.
Tragic Final Moments
According to reports, the plane began stalling shortly after reaching 625 feet. The pilots had less than a minute to react before the aircraft crashed into a residential complex near the airport and caught fire. Despite issuing a MAYDAY call, the pilots could not communicate further with Air Traffic Control.