With eyes brimming with tears and hands folded in silent grief, Pushkaraj Sabharwal stood outside his residence in Powai, Mumbai, offering a final and heart-wrenching tribute to his late son, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal. The veteran pilot was among the 241 people who lost their lives in the tragic crash of Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad on June 12. A video shared by news agency ANI captured the quiet anguish of the grieving father.
(Also read: Ahmedabad plane crash: Chilling video show thick black smoke rising from Air India accident site)
Watch the clip here:
According to a report by India Today, Captain Sabharwal, 56, had recently confided in close family and friends that he intended to step away from aviation to care for his ageing and ailing father. “Sumit had spoken to him just three days ago, saying he wanted to leave flying and come home to care for him,” said Lande, a close family friend. “His father couldn’t say a word. His eyes were filled with tears.”
{{/usCountry}}According to a report by India Today, Captain Sabharwal, 56, had recently confided in close family and friends that he intended to step away from aviation to care for his ageing and ailing father. “Sumit had spoken to him just three days ago, saying he wanted to leave flying and come home to care for him,” said Lande, a close family friend. “His father couldn’t say a word. His eyes were filled with tears.”
{{/usCountry}}(Also read: Pilot Sumeet Sabharwal's last promise to ailing father before Air India crash: 'Wanted to quit flying and come home')
A veteran pilot and a devoted son
Living in Mumbai’s Powai area with his father, Captain Sabharwal had earned a name for his calm demeanour and commitment to passenger safety. His father, Pushkaraj, himself a retired official from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), had long watched his son’s career soar.
As per India Today, Sumeet had made it clear he no longer wanted to continue flying and had resolved to return home for good — a decision cruelly interrupted by fate.
The tragic crash
Flight AI-171, operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, was en route to London with 230 passengers and 12 crew members on board when it crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel building shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
The impact led to a massive blaze, killing 241 on board. Only one survivor has been reported so far. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, though the scale of destruction has left the aviation community and the nation in mourning.