Gujarat plane crash: Air India pilots identified
An Air India Boeing 787-8, flying to London Gatwick with 242 people on board, crashed just outside Ahmedabad Airport shortly after taking off at 1:39pm (IST) on Thursday. The crew sent a Mayday call before contact was lost, and the crash led to heavy smoke and a quick response from emergency teams, including a 90-member NDRF unit.
Flight only reached about 625 feet before rapidly descending
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, an experienced pilot with over 8,200 flying hours, was in command alongside First Officer Clive Kundar. The plane only reached about 625 feet before rapidly descending and crashing into a doctors' hostel nearby. Injured passengers were taken to hospitals; most people on board were Indian or British nationals. Air India confirmed the incident and set up a hotline for families needing support.