India Plane Crash: Lawmaker Shares How Pilot of Aircraft That Killed 270 Was Days Away From Quitting

• A tragic Air India crash near Ahmedabad claimed the lives of over 200 people, including the pilot-in-charge, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal
• The Air India flight accident which happened on Thursday, June 12, 2025, is one of the worst aviation disasters in the history of India
• Just a few days ago, Captain Sabharwal reportedly told his father he would quit his job and take care of him full-time

Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering global affairs.

Ahmedabad, India - Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a seasoned Air India pilot, tragically died in the Ahmedabad plane crash that happened on Thursday, June 12.

A recent report by The Times of India disclosed that veteran pilot Sabharwal was preparing to 'hang up his boots'.

Spotlight on Captain Sumeet Sabharwal

Captain Sabharwal met a cruel end on Thursday, June 12, as the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner he was in charge of, crashed. Sabharwal was among the over 200 people who lost their lives in the Air India crash in Ahmedabad.

He was operating the Dreamliner to the Gatwick Airport in London, conveying 230 passengers and 10 crew members.

Known for his professionalism and calm demeanour, Sabharwal was deeply respected in the aviation community.

Just days before the crash, Sabharwal had told his 82-year-old father that he planned to quit his job to care for him full-time.

It was revealed how Sabharwal had spoken on the phone a week ago with his aged parent, who is reportedly living in a care home. The aviator made a promise to, henceforth, prioritise his family more.

Shiv Sena lawmaker Dilip Lande, who visited the family to offer condolences, disclosed according to The Times of India:

"Only a few days ago, he told his father that he would be quitting his job to look after him full-time."

Snapshot of Sumeet Sabharwal

Sabharwal—said to be around 55 years of age—was one of Air India’s most experienced pilots with 8200 hours of flying logged in.

A resident of Powai, an upscale residential suburb located in central Mumbai, India, Sabharwal was reportedly unmarried.

Neighbours divulged that Sabharwal had been a pilot since 1994.

According to the deceased's community members, the grieving family was deeply connected to the aviation industry. Captain Sabharwal’s father had retired from the directorate-general (DG) of the Civil Aviation (DGCA) while his two nephews are also reportedly pilots.

Devastating Indian plane crash

The Air India plane crash is one of India's worst aviation disasters.

More than 260 people have been confirmed after a London-bound Air India flight crashed in a residential area of Ahmedabad, with a man being the sole survivor of those onboard.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner heading for Gatwick was carrying 242 people when it crashed minutes after taking off at 1.38 pm local time from Ahmedabad, the main city in the north-western state of Gujarat.

A viral footage showed the aircraft climbing away from the runway and then sinking back down towards the ground, before disappearing and bursting into flames. The plane crashed into a hostel housing medical students, doctors and their families in the Meghani Nagar residential area and at least 24 people on the ground died.

Read more on the Indian plane crash:

• List of names of those lost in the plane crash that killed over 200 released
• Air India: Families in pain as they give DNA samples to help identify loved ones who died in crash

Plane crash: Ex-Indian state minister dies

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani died in the Air India flight crash.

Gujarat BJP president CR Patil disclosed that Vijay Rupani was among the victims of the tragic plane crash that has caught the attention of the world.

Subsequently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Rupani's relatives and remembered him as a humble and hardworking leader.

Source: Legit.ng