Air India plane crash: Who were the pilots and crew members of the ill-fated aircraft?

India was left shaken on Thursday by one of its deadliest aviation disasters in recent memory. An Air India flight headed to London crashed just moments after taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

On board were 242 people, including passengers and crew. Tragically, 241 lives are feared dead. The only known survivor is Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British citizen of Indian origin, whose survival is being called nothing short of a miracle.

The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, also had 10 crew members and two highly experienced pilots on board. The pilots have been identified as Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder.

Both had thousands of flying hours under their belts. Captain Sabharwal reportedly issued a “Mayday” alert to Air Traffic Control shortly after the flight was airborne. However, before any emergency response could be activated, the aircraft lost all contact with ATC, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

As the nation mourns this overwhelming loss, attention is turning to the crew who were at the helm of the flight. Here’s what is known so far about the pilots and staff who were on duty during this tragic journey.

Captain Sumeet Sabharwal

Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 60, was the most senior crew member on board the Air India flight that tragically crashed after taking off from Ahmedabad.

A veteran pilot, Sabharwal had clocked over 8,200 flying hours, according to the DGCA. But many of his colleagues believe he had even more experience than the records show, as the current digital system might not reflect his full flying history.

“He was a very quiet, diligent man. He always kept his head down and did his work,” a fellow pilot told The Times of India.

Sabharwal lived in Jalvayu Vihar, Powai, Mumbai, with his 90-year-old father, a retired DGCA official. He was just months away from retirement and had been looking forward to spending more time with his father. That day, sadly, will now never come.

He is survived by his older sister, who lives in Delhi. According to the Indian Express, her two sons have followed in their uncle’s footsteps and are both commercial pilots.

Co-pilot Clive Kunder

First Officer Clive Kunder also had solid flying experience. The DGCA stated he had completed 1,100 hours in the air. He had worked with a private airline before joining Air India five years ago.

As Hindustan Times reported, aviation ran in his blood, his mother was a flight attendant with Air India, and he spent his childhood in the airline’s Kalina colony before shifting to Borivali. Actor Vikrant Massey shared a heartfelt message online, mourning the death of his cousin.

“My heart breaks for the families and loved ones of the ones who lost their lives in the unimaginably tragic air crash in Ahmedabad today,” Massey wrote in an Instagram post.

“It pains even more to know that my uncle, Clifford Kunder, lost his son, Clive Kunder, who was the first officer operating on that fateful flight. May God give strength to you and your family, uncle, and to all deeply affected,” he added.

Clive was unmarried and is survived by his parents and sister, Kliene. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Kliene said the family was in Sydney. “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.”

Shraddha Dhawan, cabin supervisor

Shraddha Dhawan, 44, had been with Air India for more than 20 years and was a senior cabin supervisor on the ill-fated flight.

Though she had initially pursued an MBA and completed a year, her heart was in aviation. She joined the airline and never looked back.

“She joined Air India 21 years ago and loved her work,” her brother, Vivek Dhawan, told Hindustan Times.

It was during her early years with the airline that she met her husband, CK Rajesh, also a cabin crew member. The couple lived in Mulund and had a 13-year-old daughter.

Aparna Mahadik, crew member

Aparna Mahadik, 40, worked as a cabin crew member with Air India, as did her husband, Amol. On Thursday, Aparna was on the Ahmedabad-to-London flight, while Amol flew to Delhi.

Their family is related to NCP leader Sunil Tatkare, and according to a neighbour in Goregaon, they were devoted followers of Karnataka seer Kalavati Aai.

“Aparna and her husband Amol fell in love while flying for Air India, and they have an 8-year-old daughter who is currently being looked after by Amol’s mother,” said Sanjay Tatkare, Sunil Tatkare’s nephew and NCP spokesperson, to Hindustan Times.

Deepak Pathak, crew member

Deepak Pathak, a flight attendant from Badlapur, was also on the ill-fated flight. He had been working with Air India for over 11 years.

Before every flight, he would make it a point to call home, and Thursday was no different. Tragically, it turned out to be the last time. Pathak’s father, who had just recovered from pneumonia, collapsed on hearing the news of the crash.

“He called us like he always does, just before he was leaving. We never thought it could be the last,” a family member told Indian Express.

Saineeta Chakraborty, crew member

Saineeta Chakraborty, 35, was one of the ten cabin crew members on board the Dreamliner.

Known fondly as ‘Pinky’ by those around her, she was unmarried and was the sole earner for her family.

She had studied at Mithibai College before starting her aviation career. After working with GoAir, she joined Air India.

“She worked hard to reach where she was. It’s heartbreaking,” her friend Nicky D’Souza told Hindustan Times.

Her neighbours gathered at her small apartment in Juhu-Koliwada, mourning the loss of someone who had quietly built her dream.

Maithili Moreshwar Patil, crew member

Maithili Moreshwar Patil, just 22, was a flight attendant from Nhava village in Panvel taluka. She is among those feared to have died in the crash.

Despite financial difficulties, her family supported her dream. She enrolled in an aviation course and eventually secured a job at Air India. Her success inspired many young girls in her village and beyond.

“She was our pride. Her achievements gave us immense joy. The news of the accident has numbed all of us,” said a neighbour. Maithili was the eldest of four siblings.

Roshni Rajendra Songhare, crew member

Roshni Rajendra Songhare, 27, had recently joined Air India and was working as a flight attendant on the doomed flight.

Those who knew her described her as “bright and intelligent.” After completing her studies, she worked hard to make her dream of becoming an airhostess come true.

Roshni also had a strong presence on social media, with over 54,000 followers on Instagram, where she regularly posted updates from her life.

In her Dombivili neighbourhood, people felt proud seeing her in her Air India uniform. Her family — parents and a brother — rushed to Mumbai airport when they heard the news.

Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailatpam, crew member

Nganthoi was part of the 10 crew that died on the Air India flight.

The 22-year-old, the middle of three children, hailed from Thoubal distrcit’s Awang Leikai in Manipur.

“It was her dream to become an airhostess,” her elder sister said. Her family is in shock over the tragic incident.

Nganthoi informed her family that she would be flying to London today.

With input from agencies