Who were the pilots of ill-fated Air India flight that crashed?

It should have been a routine long-haul Air India flight AI 171 of approximately nine hours or so from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, in the Western part of India, to London's Gatwick Airport.

But shortly after taking off from Runway 23 at 1.38pm (12.08pm UAE time), the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 people on board, made a mayday call to the air traffic control, before crashing into the residential area of Meghani Nagar.

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Air India said there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and a Canadian on board the flight, and the two pilots and 10 cabin crew.

Air India later confirmed that 241 died, while one passenger survived.

Who were the pilots?

The two pilots in command of the ill-fated AI 171 were Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder.

According to media reports in India, which quoted the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), both the pilots had a combined flying experience of 9,300 hours. Captain Sabharwal had a flying time of 8,200 hour, the 56-year-old had an airline transport pilot's licence that was valid until May 14, 2026.

He had obtained clearances to fly as pilot-in-command on several aircraft including the Boeing 787 and 777 and the Airbus AIR.PA A310.

He had a total flying experience of 15,638 hours, of which 8,596 hours were on a Boeing 787.

Sabharwal had called his family from the airport, assuring them he would ring again after landing in London, according to a Times of India report. A pilot who had briefly interacted with him told Reuters he was a "gentleman."

Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and his co-pilot Clive Kunder sent out a “mayday” alert as they lost altitude moments after taking off.

Sabharwal, a senior Air India pilot with nearly three decades of flying experience said he had "no thrust" and was "unable to lift" less than 650ft in the air before plunging into the ground.

First Officer Clive Kunder had a commercial pilot license which was issued in 2020 and valid until September 26, 2025.

The 32-year-old had obtained clearances to fly Cessna 172 and Piper PA-34 Seneca aircraft as pilot-in-command and as co-pilot on Airbus A320 and Boeing 787 jets.

He had total flying experience of 3,403 hours. Of that, 1,128 hours of experience were as a 787 co-pilot.

Since his school-going days Kunder was passionate about flying, and in 2012, began serving as a pilot, Indian media reported, citing his relatives. He joined Air India in 2017.

'Confusing' tribute

Popular Indian actor Vikrant Massey — who has acted in films like 12th Fail, Haseen Dilruba, Sector 36, Chhapaak and the famous OTT crime thriller Mirzapur — penned an emotional, but initially confusing, note on Instagram in tribute to first officer Kunder.

“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 operation on that fateful flight," the 38-year-old Massey wrote.

He later clarified that Kunder was not his cousin. "The Kunders are our family friends. Request no more speculation and let the family and loved ones grieve in peace."