A man who lost family members in the 2023 Air India AI-171 crash has made claims about the pilot's position in the mortuary, prompting calls for an independent investigation.
The last rites of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal -- who was in command of the Air India plane that crashed in Ahmedabad last week -- were performed in Mumbai on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
The last rites of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, pilot in command of the Air India plane that crashed in Ahmedabad last week, were performed in Mumbai on Tuesday with his grief-stricken father bidding a heart-wrenching, tearful farewell to his son before the cremation.
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal's 88-year-old father is consoled by well wishers. Captain Sabharwal was the flight commander on the Air India plane that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon.
Father of deceased pilot and Federation of Indian Pilots petition Supreme Court for a court-monitored inquiry into the Air India flight AI171 crash in Ahmedabad.
Pilots' grouping FIP has suggested that the AAIB should investigate whether a 'pre-lift off electrical disturbance' could have led to the Air India Dreamliner crash in June last year, which resulted in 260 fatalities.
'...because that protects their aviation industry.' 'The Boeing 787 is one of the most widely-flown wide-body aircraft in the world, and Airbus is running neck-and-neck with Boeing.' 'Airbus is not going to let an opportunity like this pass.' 'If a software problem with the 787 is confirmed, they will use it to increase their own orders.'
'It is most pertinent to note that in over 25 years of flying, Captain Sabharwal had not had a single incident or accident-causing fatalities or otherwise'
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team probing last year's fatal Air India plane crash is examining certain components of the aircraft and assessing various aspects, and 'nothing has been ruled out' in terms of the factors that could have led to the accident that killed 260 people, according to a source.
The Supreme Court on Friday said no one blamed the chief pilot of the Air India Dreamliner for the June 12 crash, which claimed 260 lives, and asked his 91-year-old father not to carry any emotional burden.
The Ahmedabad airport cancelled flights post the crash before resuming limited flights in the evening.
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu assures a clean investigation into the Air India plane crash, dismissing concerns of manipulation. The statement follows calls for a judicial probe and criticism of selective leaks from the preliminary report.
As the planer reached a height of 625 feet, the aircraft started going down. It was at this time that the pilot, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal with co-pilot First Officer Clive Kundar issued the Mayday call.
Soon after the takeoff, the pilot of ill-fated Air India aircraft gave a Mayday call to the Ahmedabad air traffic controller.
The lawsuit has compensatory and punitive damages against the defendants for the wrongful deaths of four passengers on flight 171, US-based law firm The Lanier Law Firm said in a statement.
The pilot of the twin-engine wide bodied aircraft issued a 'Mayday' distress call, denoting a full emergency, soon after takeoff at 1.39 pm, the Air Traffic Control at Ahmedabad said.
Vikrant Massey lost his family friend, Clive Kunder, in the tragic Air India plane crash on June 12.
The Air India plane AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London crashed immediately after take-off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Ahmedabad airport on Thursday, as per the Gujarat State Police Control Room.
There has been no official information about his condition or whereabouts, his sister said.
All the 12 cabin crew members, including two pilots, on board the ill-fated London-bound Air India flight were killed in the Ahmedabad air crash on Thursday.
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has urged the government to order a judicial probe into the Air India Dreamliner crash that killed 260 people, alleging that the ongoing investigation is "compromised" and should be halted.
Authorities are carrying out DNA tests to establish the identity of the victims as many bodies were charred beyond recognition or badly damaged in the deadly June 12 crash.
It will be too premature to draw conclusions on the role of pilots from the preliminary investigation report into the fatal crash of Air India plane last month and the final report will mention about the most probable cause for the accident, former Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) chief Aurobindo Handa said on Sunday.
Air India pilots said Ahmedabad airport has long been known for bird activity near the runway, which could have contributed to the incident.
Hundreds of people, including inconsolable family members and friends, gave an emotional farewell to First Officer Clive Kunder, co-pilot of the Air India plane that crashed in Ahmedabad last week, and flight attendant Roshni Songhare whose last rites were held on Thursday.
'We will continue supporting those affected long after the work in Ahmedabad is done.'
'They are in a very bad state. They have to be forced into eating.'
A preliminary investigation into the Air India Flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad reveals that both fuel switches were cut off before the crash, followed by pilot confusion. The report also indicates that fuel samples were satisfactory and no immediate action is recommended for Boeing 787-8 operators.
An Air India aircraft with 242 passengers on board heading to London crashed in the Meghaninagar area near Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon, the police said.
Before her flight to London, Air India crew member Maithili Patil had made a final, comforting promise to her father, Moreshwar Patil, that she would call him once she reached the city. But the call did not come.
