Before boarding Air India Flight AI‑171 to London, 23-year-old flight attendant Maithili Patil made a heartfelt promise to her father: she would call him once she landed. Tragically, that call never came
Who Was Maithili Patil?
- Age: 23
- Origin: Ntava village, near Nhava in Panvel district, Maharashtra
- Joined Air India: 2 years ago
- Father’s Occupation: ONGC contractor
- Final Words: Moments before takeoff, she assured her father she’d call from London
The Last Promise That Never Reached
Maithili phoned her father, Moreshwar Patil, shortly before boarding from Ahmedabad. She expressed excitement about the journey and comforted him, saying she would call once she landed in London.
That hopeful message turned hauntingly empty when the flight crashed immediately after takeoff.
Crash Background at a Glance
- Flight: Air India AI‑171 (Ahmedabad → London)
- Aircraft: Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner
- Date/Time: 12 June 2025, ~1:38 PM IST
- Fatalities: 269+ (241 onboard, 28+ on the ground)
- Survivor: Vishwash Kumar Ramesh – seated near emergency exit
Maithili was one of the 12 cabin crew, all of whom perished defending their duty
Crew from Across India
Nine of the 12 crew belonged to Maharashtra, highlighting the significant loss for the state
- Captain: Sumeet Sabharwal (Powai, Mumbai) – 8,200 flying hours
- Co-pilot: Clive Kunder (Borivali, Mumbai)
- Deepak Pathak (Badlapur, Thane) – 11 years Air India
- Saineeta Chakravarty (Juhu, Mumbai) – cabin crew
- Maithili Patil (Nhava‑Panvel)
- Roshni Songhare (Dombivli) – influencer with 54K+ Instagram followers
- Nganthoi Sharma, Lamnunthem Singson, Aparna Mahadik, Shraddha Dhavan, Irfan Shaikh, Manisha Thapa
A Nation Mourns
Families across India—and especially in Maharashtra—are devastated. These young professionals were the face of India’s aviation promise, now gone in a moment of tragedy. Maithili’s story—a daughter reassuring her father—resonates deeply.
Remembering the Fallen
The victims were much more than crew—they were storytellers, caregivers, guardians of the skies. Each name represents lives filled with dreams and purpose:
- Maithili, whose last promise haunts our hearts
- Captain Sabharwal and First Officer Kunder, experts lost too soon
- Roshni, a digital influencer spreading joy
- The deeply rooted Maharashtrian crew, now mourned far from home
Reflections from Home
Villagers in Nhava remember Maithili’s compassionate nature and dreams of flying high. In Mumbai, tears fell for crew families—each sharing memories and heartbreak.
This story is not just another item in the news feed—it’s a personal saga of Maithili’s promise, a father’s waiting call, and a crew’s last mission. As investigations continue and hearts heal, their dedication will never be forgotten.
