Pilot of crashed AI Express flight earlier flew MiG-21s in IAF

Captain Deepak V. Sathe, who was among those killed when the Air India Express plane skidded off the runway in Kerala, was a former Indian Air Force officer and had also served as an instructor at the Air Force Training Academy. He had taken premature retirement from the IAF, shifted to civilian flying and joined Air India.

New Delhi: Captain Deepak V. Sathe, who was among those killed when the Air India Express plane he was piloting crashed in Kerala's Kozhikode on Friday, was a former Indian Air Force officer, who flew the MiG-21 fighter aircraft with 17 Squadron (Golden Arrows) in Ambala.

The squadron saw action in the 1999 Kargil war and has been recently resurrected with the induction of multi-role Rafale jet fighters, built by France's Dassault.

Captain Deepak V. Sathe along with his wife during a family function in Mumbai

Sathe, who had also served as an instructor at the Air Force Training Academy, had taken premature retirement from the IAF, shifted to civilian flying and joined Air India.

Captain Deepak V. Sathe along with his wife and two sons

A pall of gloom descended on the Powai suburb in north-east Mumbai following the death of Capt Deepak. The Captain's family, who has been living in Mumbai's Pawai was informed about the tragic incident, as said in a statement released by the Air India Express. According to the reports, the Captain survived by his wife and two sons, one of whom lives in Bengaluru while the other is in the US. They are expected to reach Kerala soon.

In one of the worst air disasters witnessed in Kerala, the Air India Express flight, returning from Dubai under the Vande Bharat mission, skidded off the runway at the "table top" Kozhikode airport leaving at least 17, of the 190 people on board, dead including the pilots. The plane plunged 35 feet into the valley below, as it landed on its second attempt amid heavy rain on Friday.

Air India Express flight which was crashed after skidding off the runway at Kozhikode airport in Kerala

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Air India Express AXB1344, a B737 aircraft, with 190 people on board, landed on Runway 10 amid visibility of 2,000 metres in heavy rain, but overshot and nose-dived into the valley and broke into two pieces.

Air India Express flight which was crashed after skidding off the runway at Kozhikode airport in Kerala

The Air India Express Limited said in a statement, "Unfortunately, the pilots have passed away and we are in touch with their families in their grief."

A spokesperson for the Air India Express said that help centres are being set up at Sharjah and Dubai for affected people. "We regret that there has been an incident regarding our aircraft VT GHK, operating IX 1344," the spokesperson added.