Pilot of Air India flight may have saved thousands

The pilot of the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12 is being hailed as a possible hero. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which had departed from Ahmedabad, crashed into a medical college hostel just minutes after takeoff, killing 270 people, including passengers and those on the ground. Only one passenger survived. Among the victims was Arjun Patoliya, who was traveling to scatter his late wife’s ashes in Gujarat. Their two young daughters have now been left orphaned.

Despite the tragedy, some believe the crash could have been far worse if not for the pilot’s actions. Officer Clive Kunder and Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who had over 9,000 combined flight hours, reportedly avoided crashing into Civil Hospital Ahmedabad, a massive facility with over 3,000 beds. The crash occurred in a less densely populated area, and some speculate this was a deliberate effort to limit casualties. The black box was recovered the next day and is expected to provide crucial information about what caused the crash. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu called its discovery a key step in the investigation.