Gujarat plane crash: More time with dad, a call from London… kin grieve lives lost too soon in a ball of fire | India News
MUMBAI: Captain Sumeet Sabharwal had promised to take some time out from his busy schedule to spend time with his 82-year-old father. That promise was never to be, as he perished in Thursday’s crash, minutes after take-off from Ahmedabad airport.Nine of the crew members aboard the ill-fated Air India flight were based out of Mumbai. Their immediate family members were all expecting a call from London. Instead, they learned that the young lives had been snuffed out, gone too soon.Captain Sabharwal from Powai’s Jal Vayu Vihar building was an able pilot who had clocked 8,200 flying hours since he joined Air India in 1994. “A few days ago, he promised to take a break to spend time with his father,” said MLA Dilip Mama Lande, who met family members. The senior Sabharwal is a former DGCA official.Co-pilot Clive Kunder’s family lived in Kalina and later shifted to IC Colony, Borivali, said his former landlord, Kenneth Carvalho. His mother had also been a flight crew member. “Clive’s parents are in Australia, visiting their daughter. We are all very shocked,” Carvalho said. Clive’s brother, Danny, is in the city but did not receive calls.Cabin crew Aparna Mahadik, 42, is survived by her husband Amol, the nephew of NCP’s Raigad MP, Sunil Tatkare. Amol Mahadik is also Air India cabin crew. The couple lived in Oberoi Esquire in Goregaon East.In Juhu Koliwada, the mother of young cabin crew member Saineeta Chakravarti only learnt of her death in the evening, even as TOI reporters reached the house. Saineeta was a stewardess with Indigo for many years before joining Air India recently. Her elderly parents learned of the tragedy through neighbours and television news reports. The family was yet to receive any formal communication from Air India. Nganthoi Sharma K was native to Manipur. Shradha Dhavan and Irfan Shaikh were also feared dead. Deepak Pathak, a resident of Badlapur, had been with Air India for 11 years and lived with his wife and parents in Katrap. He married four years ago. Deepak had informed his mother in the morning that he was in Ahmedabad, headed to London. After the incident, his family members kept calling him, but his phone was unreachable. Roshni Songhare, cabin crew member and social media influencer from Dombivli, was unmarried. She lived with her parents and brother in Rajaji Path. Her brother and father left for Ahmedabad in the evening.Stewardess Maithili Patil (22) had enjoyed quality time with her parents – Moreshwar, an ONGC worker, and Pramila Patil – and younger siblings at her Nhava village home in Uran taluka on Wednesday. Her maternal uncle at Nhava, Jitendra Mhatre, said: “She always wanted to take up aviation as a career. She last spoke on the phone with her father at 11.30am from Ahmedabad, to say she was on her way to London.” Her immediate family members were too shocked to speak.(With inputs from Hemali Chhapia, Pradeep Gupta, Samya Kamaal Khan, Mrinalini Singh, Vijay Singh and Bella Jaisinghani)
