Mumbai Mourns: City Loses 11 Air India Crew Members, Including Two Pilots, in Ahmedabad Plane Crash

Mumbai, June 13: Grief hangs heavy over Mumbai and its suburbs as the city mourns the tragic loss of 11 Air India crew members — including two pilots — who perished in the devastating crash of flight AI171 in Ahmedabad. The flight, bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed into a medical college hostel shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad International Airport on June 12, killing 241 of the 242 onboard.

Among the deceased were nine cabin crew members and two pilots, all based in Mumbai or the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Families of the victims, many of them young professionals, are struggling to cope with the sudden and tragic loss.

Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a seasoned Air India pilot since 1994 and resident of Jal Vayu Vihar in Powai, had recently promised to spend more time with his 82-year-old father. A former DGCA official, the elder Sabharwal is now inconsolable. The captain’s sister flew in from Delhi with her son — also a pilot — to be with the family.

First Officer Clive Kunder, whose family earlier lived in Kalina and later shifted to I.C. Colony, Borivli, was the son of a former airhostess. His parents are currently in Australia visiting their daughter. His brother Danny remained unreachable after the tragedy.

Cabin crew member Saineeta Chakravarti, who had recently joined Air India after a stint with IndiGo, was the sole breadwinner for her elderly parents in Juhu Koliwada. Her father, a chronic asthmatic, learned about the tragedy from television, and struggled to shield her mother from the devastating news when she returned from a nearby temple.

Aparna Mahadik, 42, a cabin crew member and niece-in-law of MP Sunil Tatkare, also lost her life. Her husband Amol Mahadik, also with Air India, was in Delhi at the time of the crash. The couple lived in Goregaon and had been with the airline for several years. Tatkare confirmed the tragedy and said the family was notified.

Dombivli’s Roshni Songhare, a young air hostess and social media influencer with over 54,000 Instagram followers, also died in the crash. Known for her lively posts and aviation dreams, she had recently joined Air India and lived with her family in Rajaji Path.

In Uran’s Nhava village, 22-year-old Maithili Patil had just spent a joyful day with her family before departing for Ahmedabad. A former student of T.S. Rahaman Institute, she had always aspired to fly. Her last phone call to her father at 11:30 AM from Ahmedabad said, “I’m heading to London.” Hours later, the family learned of the crash. Her uncle described her as “talented and full of promise.”

Deepak Pathak, a resident of Badlapur’s Katrap area and an 11-year AI employee, had informed his family on Thursday morning that he was heading to London. His phone remained unreachable after the crash. His family said they had yet to receive any official communication from the airline.

Other crew members feared to have died in the crash include Nganthoi Sharma K of Manipur, Shradha Dhavan, and Irfan Shaikh. Many of their families are awaiting official confirmation from Air India.

The tragedy has cast a pall over Mumbai’s aviation community. Colleagues, local leaders, and friends are rallying around the bereaved families. While investigations into the crash are underway, the loss of these young lives has left a permanent scar on the city's heart.