Pilot Sumeet Sabharwal's last promise to ailing father before Air India crash: 'Wanted to quit flying and come home'

Sumeet Sabharwal had spoken to his elderly father just three days before the ill-fated Air India flight crashed in Ahmedabad.

A tragic Air India crash near Ahmedabad on Thursday claimed the lives of over 200 people, including the pilot-in-charge, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who had recently expressed a desire to step away from aviation to care for his ailing father, according to an India Today report.

Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 56, was a seasoned pilot known for his dedication and skill.(HT)

Sabharwal had spoken to his elderly father, Pushkaraj, just three days before the ill-fated flight, telling him he planned to resign and return home, the report added. "Sumit had spoken to him just three days ago, saying he wanted to leave flying and come home to care for him," family friend Lande was quoted as saying. 

"His father couldn't say a word. His eyes were filled with tears."

Captain Sabharwal, 56, was a seasoned pilot known for his dedication and skill. He lived with his father in Mumbai's Powai area. His father, Pushkaraj, had earlier served in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Words from close family friends

Wing Commander (Retd) Sanjay Pai, a close family friend, described Sabharwal as a "good member of society" and said the local community was in shock. "When society members learned about his death yesterday, we all went into shock. Many people came to meet his family. It is hard to believe he is gone," Pai said according to India Today.

The crash involved a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft (AI171), which was en route to London with 230 passengers and 12 crew members on board. The aircraft crashed into the premises of a medical college shortly after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. Only one survivor has been reported.