Ahmedabad: First Officer Clive Kunder, originally from Mangaluru and based in Mumbai, was one of the crew members aboard the ill-fated Air India flight AI 171 that tragically crashed into a residential zone in Meghani Nagar, Ahmedabad, shortly after take-off on Thursday afternoon. He had undergone flight training at Paris Air Inc.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner departed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 PM, but within five minutes, the aircraft, carrying 232 passengers, 12 crew, and 2 infants, went down.

Clive, with 1,100 hours of flying experience, was assisting Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a senior Line Training Captain who had over 8,200 hours of flying time. Both pilots were at the controls during the tragic descent.

There are unconfirmed reports that former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was also aboard, listed as passenger number 12.

Emergency response teams acted promptly as the crash site erupted in flames. Fire officer Jayesh Khadia confirmed that multiple fire engines were deployed to control the blaze, visible from afar due to thick smoke.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) dispatched a team—including senior airworthiness and flight operations officials—already present in Ahmedabad, to begin the investigation.

All operations at Ahmedabad airport have been suspended until further notice, as per an airport spokesperson.

Notable senior cabin crew onboard included Shradha Dhavan and Aparna Mahadik, along with other attendants like Deepak Pathak, Irfan Shaikh, and Manisha Thapa.

The exact reason behind the crash is still under examination, and rescue efforts remain in progress.

Read Also: