A pilot set to retire, an attendant who inspired others: Crew that went down with Air India Dreamliner crash
A pilot months away from retirement, a flight attendant with more than 11 years of experience, two crew members who had joined Air India recently and a young flight attendant from Panvel who had become a source of inspiration for countless young girls in her village were among the 12-member crew that went down with the Air India Dreamliner.
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, Pilot
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 60, was the senior-most crew member on board the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad. A long serving pilot, Sabharwal had been living in Jalvayu Vihar in Powai with his 90-year-old father. According to neighbours, he was just a few months away from retirement and had planned to spend more time at home with his aging father.
'He was very reserved, disciplined. We used to see him come and go in uniform often, but he was a very reserved person,' said a neighbour from Jalvayu Vihar.
Sabharwal leaves behind his older sister, who resides in Delhi. Her two sons have also taken up the same profession and both are commercial pilots. His death is a shock, not just to his family, but also to the residential community in Powai where he had lived for many years.
Captain Sabharwal was co-piloting the Dreamliner with his first officer, Clive Kundar, which was on its way to London. As per the preliminary investigation, the flight was heavily loaded with fuel for the long-distance flight, which made the blast even more powerful. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has stated that an investigation is being conducted.
Deepak Pathak, crew member
Deepak Pathak, a Badlapur-based Air India flight attendant, was one of the crew members on the crashed Ahmedabad-London flight. A committed airline employee for more than 11 years, Deepak never missed calling home before any flight, he did the same on Thursday.
'He called us like he always does, just before he was leaving. We never thought it could be the last,' a family member said.
The family had hopes in the initial moments after the crash. 'His phone was still ringing… we thought maybe he was safe,' they said, not speculating until confirmation came from the authorities.
Deepak's relatives spoke of him as duty bound and disciplined, a person who worked dedicatedly at his job and never lost touch. The tragedy has brought the Pathak family into great sorrow, as well as the larger community in Badlapur that knew him as a gentle person to count on.
Saineeta Chakravarty, crew member
Saineeta Chakravarty, 35, fondly called 'Pinky' by neighbours and friends, was one of the ten cabin crew who were on board the Air India Dreamliner. Chakravarty was a Juhu Koliwada resident who had recently joined Air India after having worked with Go Air.
A childhood friend, Nicky D'Souza, said, 'We grew up together. She attended Manekji Cooper School and later Mithibai College. Even after she shifted, I would catch a glimpse of her occasionally in her uniform.'
Although they had shifted apart over the years, Nicky said Saineeta had always been dedicated and professional with whatever he knew. 'She worked hard to reach where she was. It's heartbreaking,' he added.
Maithili Moreshwar Patil, crew member
A 24-year-old flight attendant from Nhava village in Panvel was among those feared dead in the plane crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon.
Villagers gathered at the house of Maithili Moreshwar Patil after news of the tragedy started dominating news headlines, with most recollecting the hard work she put in to pursue her dreams in the aviation sector despite coming from a humble background.
Having studied in TS Rahman Vidyalaya till Class XII, she enrolled in an aviation course and got the full backing of her family despite financial woes, they said.
She landed a job at Air India and had become a source of inspiration for countless young girls in Nhava village and beyond, they added. 'She was our pride. Her achievements gave us immense joy. The news of the accident has numbed all of us,' a neighbour said of Maithili, the eldest of four siblings.
'She left for work yesterday afternoon. We were told she was on the ill-fated flight. We are all praying,' a relative said.
Roshni Rajendra Songhare, crew member
Roshni Rajendra Songhare, 27, was one of the crew members on board the ill-fated Air India flight that crashed in soon after takeoff. A resident of Madhabi Bungalow area on Rajaji Path in Dombivili, Song-hare's parents and brother rushed to Mumbai airport when they got the news.
Songhare, who recently joined Air India, was on duty as a flight attendant, said a relative, adding that it was her 'dream' to become an air hostess.
She lived with her parents and brother in the New Umiya Krupa Society in Dombivali East. Her relatives described her as a 'bright and intelligent' young woman, who achieved what she aimed for once she finished her education. In her neighbourhood, her Air India uniform was a matter of pride.
She also had a sizeable following on Instagram, 54,000 followers, and regularly posted snippets from her life there.
As soon as it became clear that Roshni was on duty on the Air India flight, Dombivili MLA and state BJP president Ravindra Chavan contacted the state government's emergency aircraft accident department to get information and help the family.
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