Lion Air plane crash: Indian embassy confirms death of Indian pilot Bhavye Suneja

October 29, 2018:

Bhavye Suneja, the captain of the Indonesian plane that crashed soon after taking off from Jakarta this morning was killed in the accident, Indian embassy in Jakarta has confirmed.

Lion Air said the brand-new aircraft JT610, on a 70-minute flight to Pangkal Pinang on an island chain off Sumatra, was carrying 181 passengers, including one child & two babies, and eight crew members.

Captain Suneja was a resident of Jakarta originally from New Delhi. He attended Ahlcon Public School in Mayur Vihar. According to his Linkedin profile, he was working at Lion Air since March 2011 & was also a trainee pilot with Emirates from September & December 2010.

Captain Suneja & co-pilot Harvino together had accumulated 11,000 hours of flying time, Lion Air said, adding that the aircraft had been in operation since August & was airworthy.

The aircraft, which had at least 23 government officials on board, had sought to turn back just before losing contact, an air navigation spokesman told Reuters.

Edward Sirait, chief executive of Lion Air Group, told reporters the aircraft had a technical problem on a flight from the resort island of Bali to Jakarta but it had been “resolved according to procedure”.

Indonesian TV broadcast pictures of a fuel slick & debris field. Distraught friends & relatives prayed & hugged each other as they waited at Pangkal Pinang’s airport.

The National Search & Rescue Agency’s deputy chief, Nugroho Budi Wiryanto, said some 300 people including soldiers, police & local fishermen are involved in the search & that so far it has recovered no bodies — only ID cards, personal belongings & aircraft debris.

When asked if there’s any hope of survivors Wiryanto said,”We are waiting for the miracle from God.”

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