Air India plane crash: Tears, prayers, silence mark co-pilot Clive Kunder’s final journey
Mangalore Today News Network
Mumbai, June 19, 2025: The steady sound of drums and the soft cry of trumpets filled the air outside Kunder residence in Goregaon West in Mumbai on Thursday morning, as several people gathered to bid farewell to First Officer Clive Kunder, who was killed in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12.
The 32-year-old’s body arrived from Ahmedabad this morning, a week after the crash, and was kept at the residence for over two hours for friends, family, and neighbours to offer their final tributes. Wreaths, folded hands and silent tears marked the quiet procession of visitors paying their respects.
The coffin, surrounded by white and red flowers, was placed at the center of the courtyard before being moved inside briefly, where his parents, sister and close relatives sat next to it in silence.
The tragedy cast a pall of gloom over the area as candles burned near a framed photo of Clive inside a cockpit.
As the final journey began, a brass band played slow music. The trumpet’s notes rose and fell with the drumbeats, echoing through the lane as family and close friends followed the coffin. Clive’s father, mother, and sister walked close behind, holding each other for strength.
"He was very ambitious, an amazing human," said a close friend. "Down to earth. Always smiling. No ego. It’s hard to digest that he’s gone. He was a gem of a human. Such a young life cut short."
Another friend, a doctor, recalled the moment the news of the crash reached him: "I got a call saying they might need medical help. Then I realised Clive was the first officer. I spoke to his sister. It didn’t feel real."
"We used to work out and travel together," said a third friend. "We’re shattered. He was more than a friend - he was family."
Clive began serving as a pilot in 2012 and joined Air India in 2017. He was known for his discipline, professionalism, and calm cockpit presence. He had logged 1,100 hours of flying on domestic and international routes, just 400 short of the caliber required to command a commercial aircraft.
Colleagues described Clive as meticulous, focused, and deeply passionate about flying. On June 12, Clive was in the cockpit assisting captain Sumeet Sabharwal when the flight crashed soon after take off.
Clive’s final journey was marked with dignity, sorrow, and love. It was a farewell to a young man remembered for his warmth and humility he carried, in the skies and on the ground.