Clive Kunder of Mangaluru roots among crew in tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad

Clive Kunder of Mangaluru roots among crew in tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad

Mangalore Today News Network

Ahmedabad, June 12, 2025: Clive Kunder, a First Officer with roots in Mangaluru and a resident of Mumbai, was among the crew members on board the ill-fated Air India flight AI 171 that crashed into a residential area in Meghani Nagar, Ahmedabad, shortly after take-off on Thursday afternoon.

Clive, who had trained at Paris Air Inc. and logged over 1,100 hours of flying experience, was assisting Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a seasoned Line Training Captain with more than 8,200 flying hours. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner had taken off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 PM and went down approximately five minutes later.

The aircraft was carrying 232 passengers, including two infants, and 12 crew members, bringing the total on board to 244. Unconfirmed reports suggest that former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the passengers, listed as number 12 on the manifest.

Following the crash, emergency services responded swiftly. Flames engulfed the aircraft upon impact, with thick plumes of smoke visible from several kilometres away. Fire officer Jayesh Khadia confirmed that fire tenders were deployed promptly to douse the blaze.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation into the incident. A team comprising the Director of Airworthiness, Assistant Director of Airworthiness, and a Flight Operations Inspector—already present in Ahmedabad—has been assigned to probe the crash.

All flight operations at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport have been suspended indefinitely. “All flight operations at SVPIA are temporarily suspended until further notice,” said an airport spokesperson.

Identified senior cabin crew include Shradha Dhavan and Aparna Mahadik. Others on duty were Saineeta Chakravarti, Nganthoi Kongbrailatpam Sharma, Deepak Pathak, Maithili Patil, Irfan Shaikh, Lamnunthem Singson, Roshni Songhare Rajendra, and Manisha Thapa.

The cause of the crash has not yet been officially determined, and rescue operations continue at the site.