The ill-fated Air India Flight AI171, which crashed in Ahmedabad on June 13, not only marked one of the darkest days in India’s aviation history but also left behind a trail of shattered dreams, grieving families, and communities plunged into mourning. Among the 241 lives lost were pilots, cabin crew, and young professionals each with aspirations that ended far too soon. From Powai and Goregaon to the coastal towns of Ratnagiri and villages of Navi Mumbai, the tragedy has left an indelible mark. These are the stories of the people behind the headlines of duty, determination, sacrifice, and love interrupted by fate.
Captain’s wish to serve ageing dad remains unfulfilled
Just a few days before the crash, Sumeet Sabharwal had told his father that he wanted to look after him. Sabharwal was the captain of the ill-fated flight AI-171 and had 8,200 hours of flying experience.
Sabharwal was a resident of Jalvayu Vihar in Powar, was known to be a very amiable person who stayed with his aged father. According to a neighbour, Pamela Cheema, his mother passed away some time ago. “Whenever I had the occasion to meet him, he came out as a very pleasant person. But our interactions were very few since he was constantly flying. All of us in our building will sorely miss him,” Chema said.
Prasun Kumar, editor of “Planet Powai”, said. Capt Sabharwal had a sister living in Delhi and a nephew who is also a pilot. The sister left for Mumbai as soon as she got the news.
Wedding bells stop ringing as airhostess daughter loses life
Dombivali’s Songhare family was excited for their 26-year-old air hostess daughter Roshni’s marriage, which was arranged with a merchant navy officer the following year. However, the excitement perished on Thursday noon after the family heard the news about the AI171 plane crash, which also had Roshni on board as a crew member.
The Songhare family, a native of Mandangad in coastal Ratnagiri, had moved to Dombivli two years ago. The Songhare family’s residence in Rajaji Path was soon turned from a cheerful place preparing for their daughter’s wedding to a horrifying, silent place preparing for her last rites. According to her family, Roshni had left her home three days before the crash for duty. Now, her father and brother have left for Ahmedabad to receive her body.
Roshni has left behind her father Rajendra, mother Rajshree and younger brother Vignesh. “She was the heartbeat of this home. We were getting her engaged in November and married in March, but time played cruelly,” a close relative said.
Roshni was known to be a bright and determined girl among her family and relatives. Inspired by the skies, she pursued to become a flight attendant and successfully began her career with SpiceJet and later joined Air India, where she was also allowed to serve on international sectors.
“She was so happy to be flying again. We were all looking forward to her wedding. Everything was going right,” said her uncle Praveen Sukhdere, who rushed to Dombivli to be with the grieving family. Roshni was also a social media influencer with over 54,000 followers on Instagram.
Father still awaits phone call from flying daughter
Before her flight to London, cabin crew member Maithili Patil, 22, told her father, Moreshwar Patil, that she would call him once she landed in London, but it has been more than 24 hours, and her father is still awaiting a call from her.
Mathili hailed from Nhava village in Navi Mumbai’s Uran taluka and was the eldest of the four siblings. Her father, who is a labour contractor with ONGC, was proud of her daughter’s achievement of being selected as a cabin crew with Air India just two years ago. According to the village’s former sarpanch and the family’s relative Jitendra Mhatre, she had left her hometown on Wednesday evening for duty.
“Despite coming from a modest background, Mathili nurtured dreams of flying since childhood. After completing her Class 12 at TS Rahiman School in Nhava, she pursued aviation training and joined Air India two years ago. She was my niece’s daughter,” Mhatre said.
Known for her determination, Mathili would regularly commute from her rural home for duty. Her dedication and journey from a small village to international flights inspired many in her community.
“Her mother, along with other relatives, has reached the Civil Hospital at Ahmedabad. The body will have to be identified after a DNA test,” Mhatre added. She has left behind her parents, a younger sister and a brother.
10-year-old girl loses mom who serving onboard pax
The ill-fated AI171 took away a mother from a 10-year-old daughter who thought that her cabin crew mother, Aparna Mahadik, would return within a few days after completing her duty. Mahadik was one of the most senior crew members on the crashed flight.
The Mahadik family, which lives in Oberoi Square Society in Goregaon (E), was devastated by the news of the plane crash, which also had their daughter-in-law on board. Mahadik was closely related to senior NCP leader and Member of Parliament Sunil Tatkare. She was the wife of Sunil’s nephew, Amol Tatkare, who also works with Air India as a pilot. According to the Mahadik family, Amol had just landed in Delhi when the news broke and left for Ahmedabad.
Akhilesh Chaubey, a close family friend and fellow resident of the society, said, “It’s heartbreaking. Aparna was a fitness enthusiast, we often met during morning walks. When I saw the photos, I had a terrible feeling. When her name appeared, I immediately contacted the family. It’s shocking for everyone.”
Dreamliner shatters big dreams of Pune youth
Just two years ago, when Irfan Samir Shaikh, 22, from Pune’s Pimpri Chinchwad, joined the aviation industry with big dreams of flying around the world while serving passengers on aeroplanes, he might have had no idea that his dreams would be shattered in one of the most tragic aircraft accidents in India. Irfan’s father, Salim Shaikh, runs a shop, his mother is a homemaker, and his elder brother works in a software firm.
Irfan’s uncle, Firoz Shaikh, said his nephew always made it a point to inform his parents about his flight roster, and that’s the reason her mother was devastated as soon as she heard the news about the plane crash, since she knew that her son was on the fateful flight. Her son had visited home to celebrate Eid-al-Adha with the family. After the incident, Irfan’s mother, father and elder brother immediately flew to Ahmedabad. “The authorities have collected the blood samples of Irfan’s brother for a DNA test, and the family is now awaiting confirmation and the return of his body,” his uncle said.
Called for emergency duty to never return
Deepak Balasaheb Pathak, a 34-year-old cabin crew member, who lived with his wife Poonam and his parents in Katrap village, Badlapur, had taken leave just four to five days before the crash. Despite being unwell and resting at his home, Air India reportedly called him in for emergency duty. He left for work on May 11.
“He was on leave, but later called in an emergency, even though he was unwell and resting at his home in Badlapur. If he hadn’t gone back to work, he would still be alive. He was scheduled to fly on June 14,” said his cousin Sachin Khadtare, speaking to Free Press Journal.
Deepak’s father, Balasaheb Pathak, a former employee at the railway workshop in Matunga, had retired and moved with the family to Badlapur about 15 years ago. Deepak studied at a convent school in Parel and got married four years ago. The couple did not have children. He was promoted to cabin crew Member just six months ago, after more than 11 years of service with Air India.
Catholic community mourns young pilot’s loss
Aircraft’s first pilot, Clive Kunder, was a resident of Goregaon, where he had recently shifted from Kalina, where his father, Clifford, still resides. Kunder, who was assisting Captain Sabharwal, was a member of the Our Lady of Egypt church in Kalina, and as soon as the news of the plane crash surfaced, the Roman Catholic community reacted with sorrow, exchanging messages about the tragedy.
“We lost a future generation pilot of the country. May God give strength to his family members to bear the pain of the sudden death of their son. May his soul rest in peace,” said Melwyn Fernandes, a member of Our Lady of Mercy Church, Thane.
Mulund mourns crew member Shraddha
Crew member Shraddha Dhavan was a resident of Kalp Nagari complex in the Vaishali Nagar area of Mulund. A pall of gloom descended on the housing complex after the news of her death came in, and her family members have rushed to Ahmedabad to provide samples for DNA a test.
Juhu Loses Its ‘Pinky’; shock waves in school, college circles
Fondly known as Pinky, crew member Saineeta Chakravarti, 35, was a resident of Juhu Koliwada. She was an alumnus of Manekji Cooper Education Trust School and Mithibai College. The news of her sudden death has spread a wave of shock in the circles of her school, college and Juhu locality.
Gorkhas grieve aspiring aviator from Patna
Belonging to the Gorkha community and settled in Bihar’s Patna, Manisha Thapa was one of the crew members who lost her life in the crash. Thapa was an Economics graduate but was a promising professional in the field of aviation. The Gorkha community across the country expressed sorrow over the passing away of a young aspirational community member.
