As pilot error emerges as the likely culprit for the crash of Air India 171 (if for nothing else than via process of elimination), here’s what we know about the two pilots who were at the controls when the Air India Boeing 787 crashed shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025.
Profile Of Air India 171 Pilots
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder were the crew of Flight AI171. Both of their backgrounds are now under intense scrutiny as investigators focus on cockpit actions.
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was well-respected by his colleagues, though a recent personal event raises questions about his struggles with depression.
- 56 years old
- Commercial pilot license valid until May 2026
- 15,638 total flight hours (8,596 hours on Boeing 787)
- Previously flew Boeing 777 and Airbus A310
- Known as a “gentleman” by colleagues, last checked in with family before departure
- His mother died in 2022
- Was purportedly planning an early retirement to care for his father
- Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a “leading aviation safety expert in India,” told The UK Telegraph: “I have heard from several Air India pilots who told me he had some depression and mental health issues. He had taken time off from flying in the last three to four years. He had taken medical leave for that.”
- TATA, the parent company of Air India, pushed back, saying, “He did take bereavement leave in 2022 following his mother’s death, and his medical records were submitted as part of the investigation, and the preliminary report did not find anything noteworthy.”
First Officer Clive Kunder
First Office Clive Kunder was also well-respected by peers and had grown up as an av-geek, training to be a pilot in the United States.
- 32 years old
- Commercial pilot licence valid until September 2025
- 3,403 total flight hours (1,128 hours on Boeing 787)
- Previously flew Cessna 172, Piper PA-34 Seneca, and Airbus A320
- Trained to fly in Florida
- Started flying small aircraft in 2012 and joined Air India in 2017
- Was the pilot flying during takeoff
- Purportedly engaged to be married within two months
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CONCLUSION
Both Captain Sabharwal and First Officer Kunder were experienced and fully certified. The preliminary report highlights that both engines lost thrust after the fuel cutoff switches moved to “CUTOFF,” but it does not conclude who moved them or why. Since Kunder was flying the aircraft on AI171, it is more likely that Sabharwal had the opportunity to flip the switches off.
Investigators are now focused on cockpit dynamics, human factors, and whether fatigue, miscommunication, or malice played a role.
While I initially thought it was pilot error, I am now convinced that it was intentional.
I am confused. Your previous post says: “According to the preliminary report, the captain asked, “Why did you cut off?” to which the first officer responded, “I did not do so.”
On this post you say that Sumeet Sabharwal was the captain and Clive Kunder was the first officer.
“Since Kunder was flying the aircraft on AI171, it is more likely that Sabharwal had the opportunity to flip the switches off.” Can they identify by the voices who asked the question “Why did you switch the fuel off?”
So, did the captain cut it off and then asked the first officer why he did?
I wonder if there would be a way to have full recording (cameras) inside the cockpit recording all actions into the black box so it could be reviewed in case it was needed.
I’m truly sorry. I messed up that last post. I’ve corrected it now. No more posts until I have my morning coffee. Too many errors. Agreed that full recording would be helpful.
To your credit, I am not sure there is clarity over who said which comment at this time.
Thanks for the update Matthew.
Unlike the US, they allow video recording on the flight deck, galley and cabins. Unless someone turned those off ….
Just incredibly sad. So heartbreaking.
Boeing should sue the families of Sumeet along with Air India for allowing another Lubitz to fly. It’s obvious he did it and the bottom line is anyone responsible for others that asks for time off needs to be fired. Suck it up buttercup, do your job or quit. Or the employer needs to make the decision for you.
Rot in hell Sumeet!
we know never know who specifically turned the switches off but it is pretty clear that it was done by a human. We are even less likely to know why it was done; there are reasons pro and con that could be argued but technology simply can’t get in people’s heads.
an aviation psychologist is part of the investigation team.
This is what you get with DEI hires. Air India should know better and hire white men from now on!
You’re a tool. So many people dead and somehow you think let’s go ahead and write something funny. Well, that ain’t funny. Idiot.
@dublin But is he wrong? The only he missed was hiring white men from the United States. Should we list all the suspected pilots who intentionally crashed their planes into buildings, mountains, oceans, etc?
How many were white Americans?
Who’s trying to be funny? If I wanted a joke, I’d follow you into the john and watch you take a leak
Your just a racist ahole…..how many confirmed suicide by plane events have happened? The white german guy who committed suicide by plane a few years back. Maybe Malaysian air? Any others? This would confirmed case number 2 in the past 30 plus years. Maybe the fact that one of the pilots took time off for depression is a red flag but that is independant of his skin color or country of origen. You are an embarrassment to our country. Please get off the internet and stop politicizing every thing that happens.
We have to consider the meaning of “intentional”. It was human caused, yes, that seems clear. But it might not be “intentional” in the traditional context. The fuel cutoff switch is a multi-step procedure, but it’s also one that both pilots have done so many times that its in their fine motor control– and they can do it practically without looking or thinking in less than a second. Factors such as stress or fatigue could have cause, in essence, “a misfire” in one of their brains. That person then could have though he was performing another fine motor control process when he was actually performing the actuation of the fuel cutoff switch. Such mental process mix-ups are very common in automobile accidents– although slightly simplified– where the driver thinks he’s hitting the brake but is actually hitting the gas. Therefore, we know it is human-caused, but we should be careful not to jump to conclusions over the intent.
We need to jump to conclusions, otherwise this crash will never be figured out.
Also, there is no procedure that calls for the fuel cut off switches to both be moved to the off position only seconds after climb out. Moving the switches to off is typically a reaction to something (engine fire, for example). In this case, nothing was going on other than a normal routine take off. So there was nothing to react to. This goes beyond a mental mistake.
“We need to jump to conclusions, otherwise this crash will never be figured out.”
–9volt
I doubt anyone at NTSB on any self-respecting investigative body will agree with this ludicrous statement. Speed is not the goal; accuracy is.
Just another reason why they all should be working scamming telemarketing jobs or running 7-11’s.
Why do you blame Sabharwal? That’s preposterous and most likely, prejudiced. Clive was getting married in 2 months. Maybe his fiance dumped on the phone when he just boarded the plane? Yours is just a racist BS speculation like Dave Edwards’ above.
Racist?