Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Who Was Clive Kunder, Co-Pilot Of Air India Flight AI 171 That Crashed In Gujarat?

The tragic crash of Air India Flight AI 171 on June 12, 2025, has sent shockwaves throughout the nation. Visuals from the site show a thick plume of grey smoke rising from the ground. At least two dozen ambulances were rushed to the spot for relief and containment efforts.

Ahmedabad Plane Crash: A devastating plane crash occurred near Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon, June 12, when Air India flight AI 171, bound for London, went down with 242 people on board. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which departed from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 PM, crashed into a residential area in Meghani Nagar, resulting in feared casualties.

The aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumit Sabharwal with First Officer Clive Kundar, as stated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Captain Sumit Sabharwal was a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience.

Who is Clive Kundar, co-pilot of the plane?

Clive Kundar, a resident of Mumbai with roots in Mangaluru, was the First Officer on board Air India flight AI 171, which tragically crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. With 1,100 hours of flying experience, Clive was assisting Captain Sumit Sabharwal, a seasoned pilot with over 8,200 flying hours.

Clive had attended Paris Air Inc. and was part of the crew that took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 PM. Unfortunately, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a residential area in Meghani Nagar just five minutes into the flight, resulting in a catastrophic accident.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has deployed a team, including the Director of Airworthiness, Assistant Director of Airworthiness, and a Flight Operations Inspector who were already in Ahmedabad, to investigate the incident.

Three teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are working at the plane crash site in Ahmedabad. A total of three more teams are being moved from Vadodara: NDRF.

Western Railways said, "In response to the tragic Ahmedabad plane crash, the Disaster Management Team of Western Railway is actively extending full support in relief and rescue operations at the site, while maintaining close coordination with the State. WR Medical Team and RPF personnel have also already been deployed to assist in rescue operations. Additionally, Western Railway will operate extra trains from Ahmedabad based on demand. As of now, one train for Mumbai and one train for Delhi are being planned from Ahmedabad."

The crash has sent shockwaves across the nation, and the exact number of casualties is yet to be confirmed. The DGCA team will work to identify the factors that led to the tragic incident and implement measures to prevent such accidents in the future.

The rescue efforts are being carried out with utmost urgency, and the local authorities are working closely with the NDRF and other agencies to ensure that the situation is brought under control. As the investigation begins, the focus will be on determining the cause of the crash and taking steps to prevent such incidents in the future.