The mortal remains of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, pilot of the ill-fated Air India flight AI-171, were brought to Mumbai on Tuesday, days after the tragic crash claimed 241 lives. The flight, bound for London, crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel building shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12. A solemn silence enveloped Jal Vayu Vihar in Powai as the casket arrived at Captain Sabharwal’s residence. With folded hands and eyes brimming with tears, his father offered a final tribute to his son—a son who had recently promised to retire and take care of him full time, a promise now left heartbreakingly unfulfilled.
Captain Sabharwal, 56, was a seasoned pilot with over 8,200 hours of flying experience. According to Shiv Sena lawmaker Dilip Lande, who visited the grieving family, “Only a few days ago, he told his father that he would be quitting his job to look after him full time.” The Sabharwals have a long-standing connection to aviation. Neighbours shared that Captain Sabharwal’s father retired from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and two of his nephews are also pilots.After DNA testing confirmed his identity, Captain Sabharwal’s body was flown to Mumbai early Tuesday morning. The aviation community, along with family and friends, now mourns not just the loss of a highly skilled pilot, but of a son who was just days away from starting a new chapter of life—one dedicated entirely to his family.