New Delhi: Captain Sumeet Sabarwal and First Officer Clifford Kunder were amongst the people who died in the airline crash on Thursday. The two started flying an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, with 230 passengers and 10 crew members on board to London’s Gatwick Airport. However, the plane crashed within 32 seconds of take-off. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British-Indian passenger was the only one to survive. They had approximately 9,300 hours of flying experience.
Sabarwal wanted to quit job
Captain Sabarwal (54) had a flying experience of nearly thirty years. Sabarwal had lodged nearly 8,200 hours in the cockpit, as per the Indian aviation regulator DGCA. Colleagues are of the view that his original experience is far more than that, noting that the DGCA’s current software won’t be able to present the entire work life.
Captain Sabarwal, who was a resident of Powai, in Mumbai, stayed with his 82-year-old father. A few days ago, the pilot told his father that he would be quitting his job to look after him. The Sabarwal family has deep links with the aviation industry. Sabarwal’s father is retired from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), while his two nephews are also pilots.
A neighbour told the Hindustan Times, “Whenever he flew out, Sumeet would ask us to keep an eye on his father. He has now been left devastated.”
Actor Vikrant Massey expresses condolences to Uncle Clifford
Captain Clive Kunder who was the co-pilot and First officer had a flying experience of 1, 100 years. His family too have had a history of aviation. His mother is a former Air India flight attendant.
Captain Kunder’s parents are currently in Sydney, at their daughter’s place.
Actor Vikrant Massey expressed his condolences for the death of Mr Kunder, son of his uncle, Clifford Kunder. In a post on Instagram, Mr Massey wrote, “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. 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.”
The pilot, Captain Sabharwal, issued a “Mayday” call to Air Traffic Control shortly before the plane lost contact, said DGCA. It is a call, primarily made in an aviation setup to indicate a life-threatening emergency.
