Amongst the 18 people who died on Friday's Air India Express flight crash at Kozhikode Airport, Kerala, were the two pilots: Captain Deepak Vasanth Sathe, 60 and First Officer Akhilesh Kumar.
Captain Sathe was a former Wing Commander of the Indian Air Force (IAF), and an awardee of the ‘Sword of Honour’ at the Air Force Academy (AFA) in Dundigal.
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He was experienced at landing on the tabletop runway and had done the same many times at the Kozhikode Airport. Captain Sathe made several attempts at landing the ill-fated aircraft on Friday last amid difficult weather conditions. Eventually, on touching down, the aircraft skidded off the runway due to hydroplaning (when a layer of water forms on the surface reducing friction with the brakes of a vehicle) and nosedived 35 feet below into the valley, splitting into two.
"Sathe managed to save many lives in the accident by switching off the engine of the aircraft," claimed BL Santhosh, National General Secretary of BJP.
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The Vande Bharat flight, IX-1344, had 190 people on boarding six crew members. While both pilots succumbed to their injuries, the crew members are reported to be safe.