Delhi-based Bhavye Suneja was captain of ill-fated Indonesian passenger plane

NEW DELHI: Indian man Bhavye Suneja was the captain of the ill-fated Lion Air flight JT610 that crashed on Monday, killing 188 persons onboard.

“The 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,” said a statement from the airlines. 

Suneja was based out of Delhi's Mayur Vihar and studied in Ahlcon Public School in Mayur Vihar Phase 1. 

As per his Linkedin profile, Suneja got his pilot license from Bel Air International in 2009 and worked as a trainee with Emirates before joining Lion Air in March 2011 where he flied the Boeing 737. 

Collegeaues remmember him as a sweet-natured, mild-spoken fellow. 

The Indian Embassy in Jakarta tweeted, “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.”

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. pic.twitter.com/56lbxGSoJe — India in Indonesia (@IndianEmbJkt) October 29, 2018

The Lion Air flight JT610, en-route to Pangkalpinang crashed near Kerawang, lost contact 13 minutes after takeoff from Jakarta, the capital of the island nation. The flight carried 178 adults, one child and two infants, including three crew under training and 1 technician, the airline said in a statement.

Read: Indonesian passenger flight had requested to return base before minutes before disappearing

A tugboat leaving the Jakarta port saw it fall. 

Videos and images tweeted by disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho showed debris floating on water and a slick of fuel on the surface of the water. Items such as handphones and life vests were found in waters about 30 metres to 35 metres (98 to 115 ft) deep near where the plane, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, lost contact, he said. 

According to the Associated Press, Lion Air airline is a fast-growing low-cost airline with a mixed safety record.