Indian pilot Bhavye Suneja was killed on Monday after the ill-fated Indonesian plane he was flying crashed into the sea, the Indian Embassy here said. The Lion Air plane flight JT610 en-route to Pangkalpinang crashed with 188 passengers and crew near Kerawang, 13 minutes after taking off from Jakarta Soekarno Hatta International Airport.
“Our deepest condolences on the tragic loss of lives in the Lion Air Plane crash, off the coast of Jakarta today. Most unfortunate that Indian Pilot Bhavye Suneja who was flying JT610 also lost his life… Embassy is in touch with Crisis Center and coordinating for all assistance,” Indian Embassy in Jakarta tweeted.
The flight carried 178 adults, 1 child and 2 infants. The plane also had 3 crew under training and 1 technician, the airline said in a statement. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft was commanded by Captain Suneja and co-pilot Harvino with six cabin crew members. The 31-year-old captain has 6,000 flight hours and the co-pilot more than 5,000 flight hours, the statement said.