970x125
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder, both pilots of Air India flight AI-171, had been declared fit for duty and were adequately rested before the flight took off from Ahmedabad airport on June 12, according to an interim report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). However, just seconds after the Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet reached its maximum recorded airspeed of 180 knots, both its engines shut down one after the other, leading to a fatal crash, the report said.
970x125
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the pilot-in-command of AI-171 on June 12, was a seasoned flyer with over 15,600 hours of flight experience — more than half of it on the 787 Dreamliner. The 56-year-old held an Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL), the highest level of certification, issued in May 2021 and valid until 2026. His most recent Class 1 medical examination was conducted on September 5, 2024. In the 30 days leading up to the crash, Sabharwal had logged approximately 57 flight hours.
A long-serving pilot, Sabharwal lived in Jalvayu Vihar, Powai, with his 90-year-old father and was just months away from retirement. His neighbours earlier told The Indian Express that he looked forward to spending more time at home and caring for his aging parent. Sabharwal is survived by his elder sister, who lives in Delhi. Her two sons have followed in Sabharwal’s footsteps and are both commercial pilots.
On the day of the flight, the crew reported to the airport, underwent pre-flight breath analyser tests, and were found fit to operate the aircraft. (File Photo/Sankhadeep Banerjee)
First Office Clive Kunder, the co-pilot on the fateful flight, only recently started flying long haul international flights. The 32-year-old had 3,400 hours of flight experience, with around 1,100 hours on the 787 Dreamliner. Kunder held a Commercial Pilot License (CPL), which was issued in 2020 and was valid until September this year. His most recent Class 1 medical examination was conducted on February 4, 2025. In the 30 days leading up to the crash, Sabharwal had logged approximately 66 flight hours.
At the time of the crash, Kunder was just two months away from his wedding. A graduate of the aircraft maintenance programme at the Bombay Flying Club, he later completed his flying training in Florida, US. His parents now live in Sydney along with his sister. Kunder’s mother is a former Air India flight attendant. The pilot had been living alone in Mumbai’s Goregaon area.
Both pilots, based in Mumbai, had arrived in Ahmedabad a day earlier. On the day of the flight, the crew reported to the airport, underwent pre-flight breath analyser tests, and were found fit to operate the aircraft.
According to the investigation, the crash likely occurred after both engine fuel control switches moved from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ position in quick succession shortly after takeoff. “In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so,” the report said.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
970x125
