Air India pilot's final decision before crash disaster 'saved dozens of lives'
The captain's quick actions prevented a direct impact on a building below.
The pilot of the doomed Air India flight is said to have "saved dozens of lives" due to his final decision before the plane struck a residential area.
A total of 270 bodies have since been recovered following the horror crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday, June 12, following a weekend of searching the wreckage and rubble.
Among those believed to have been killed are 241 of the passengers and crew on board the London-bound flight, including at least 50 British nationals. The remainder are thought to have been on the ground or inside the doctors' hostel building the aircraft hit on impact, the Mirror reports.
One passenger, 40-year-old British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, survived and escaped the wreckage of the Boeing 787 before being taken to hospital.
However the actions of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who also died in the crash, have been praised. He has been hailed as a "hero" for diverting the plane towards an area of grassland to avoid a direct hit on the hostel, which was full of medical students.
The 55-year-old sent a mayday message to air traffic control within a minute of the plane taking off, with the plane only reaching 650ft before descending rapidly.
He was also the primary carer for his elderly father, Pushkaraj, who had been an officer with India's Ministry of Civil Aviation. Speaking to him on the phone just before take-off, he told him: "I'll call you once I reach London."
Indian media had previously reported he had recently promised his father he would retire as a pilot so he could return home to Mumbai and look after him full-time.
Lande, a family friend, told India Today: "Sumit had spoken to him just three days ago, saying he wanted to leave flying and come home to care for him.
"His father couldn't say a word. His eyes were filled with tears."
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Colleagues paying tribute to him described him as a "good, quiet person" who mentored younger pilots.
As investigations into the disaster continue, experts from US aviation manufacturer Boeing have arrived to examine the wreckage. The aircraft's black box and cockpit voice recorder, which was retrieved on Friday, will also be analysed.
The black box could provide vital details about the engine and control settings, with the voice recorder replaying the final conversations between the captain and his co-pilot Clive Kunder before the crash.
The investigation is being led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, with four experts from the UK also present to offer extra support and expertise.
A separate probe is being carried out by the US National Transportation Safety Board, as the plane was American-made.
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Daily Mirror
40 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
‘I'm a shipwreck detective for treasure – there's billions more gold down there'
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Telegraph
40 minutes ago
- Telegraph
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Telegraph
40 minutes ago
- Telegraph
‘I changed my Air India flight last minute. My wife thought I was on doomed plane'
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