About an hour before taking off from Ahmedabad on Thursday, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal called his family to let them know he would call again once he got to London. Unfortunately, that call never happened. His final communication was with air traffic control just before Al171 went down in flames.

According to the aviation regulator DGCA, Sabharwal, a senior pilot, accumulated 8,200 flying hours. However, a senior colleague indicated that his actual flying experience is likely to be significantly greater. “The regulator’s eGCA platform is relatively new and may not contain his complete record,” the colleague remarked. “He was an exceptionally skilled and reserved individual who piloted the Airbus A310, Boeing 777, and B787. He maintained a low profile and was a dedicated worker”.

Co-pilot Clive Kunder had logged 1,100 hours of flying experience. To command a commercial aircraft, a minimum of 1,500 hours is required; Kunder was the first flying officer on the nearly 10-hour flight, helping out Sabharwal. Actor Vikrant Massey expressed his sorrow over the tragedy on Instagram, stating, “It hurts even more to realize that my uncle, Clifford Kunder, has lost his son…”

Co-pilot Clive Kunder

Numerous social media posts paid tribute to Kunder’s passing and emphasized his connections to Mangaluru.

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