Air India crash: Who were the two pilots on board?
Friends and family members mourn near the coffin of Co-Pilot Clive Kunder, who died after an AIR India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane crashed during take-off from an airport in Ahmedabad, in Mumbai, India June 19, 2025
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS/Hemanshi Kamani
Investigators probing a deadly Air India crash said in a preliminary report that the aircraft’s engine fuel switches were flipped to an off position briefly, leading to confusion in the cockpit and putting focus on the pilots flying the Boeing 787.
Below is a brief profile of the two pilots based on the preliminary investigation report and media reports:
People stand next to a condolence banner as they wait for the body of Sumeet Sabharwal, a pilot who died when an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed during take-off from an airport, to be handed over to his family in Mumbai, India, June 17, 2025.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS/Hemanshi Kamani
CAPTAIN SUMEET SABHARWAL
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 A310.
He had 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.”
FIRST OFFICER CLIVE KUNDER
The 32-year-old had a commercial pilot license which was issued in 2020 and valid until September 26, 2025.
He 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.
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Published on July 12, 2025
