Ahmedabad plane crash: Air India pilots logged over 9,000 flying hours combined

Ahmedabad: The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, Flight AI-171, which crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday, was being operated by highly experienced pilots, officials confirmed.

Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was commanding the London-bound flight, had logged approximately 8,200 hours of flying experience. His co-pilot, First Officer Clive Kundar, had around 1,100 flying hours to his credit. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said both pilots were certified and seasoned in operating wide-body aircraft.

Flight AI-171 took off at 1:39 p.m. IST from Runway 23. Shortly after departure, the crew issued a "mayday" distress call, but failed to respond to further communication from Air Traffic Control (ATC). The aircraft crashed just minutes later, reportedly only climbing to 625 meters before plunging into a nearby student hostel.

The ill-fated Dreamliner was carrying 242 people, including 12 crew members. Among the passengers were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian. Authorities have yet to officially confirm the number of casualties, but the scale of destruction has raised fears that there may be no survivors.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu is personally overseeing the rescue and investigation efforts. Air India has activated a passenger helpline at 1800 5691 444.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has also established a control room to coordinate crash-related details. The public can reach out via 011-24610843 or 9650391859 for updates and information.