Mangaluru: Friday’s Air India Express plane crash at the Karipur airport in Kozhikode, Kerala, bears certain similarities with the May 22, 2010 plane crash at the Mangaluru International Airport in Bajpe. Both airports are have table-top runways, which means that the landing strip is located on top of a plateau. In both mishaps, the aircraft overshot the runway and fell off the edge of the runway. Yet another connection between the two incidents is that Captain/Wing Commander Deepak Vasant Sathe, one of the pilots who died in the unfortunate plane crash on Friday, lived here in Mangaluru city for a little more than a year.
According to a city-based news portal, Capt Sathe, a decorated former fighter pilot with the Indian Air Force before moving on to Air India, was stationed as the crew in-charge for Air India Express in Mangaluru a few years ago. While he was stationed here, the Captain lived as a tenant at Nagi Towers opposite the Circuit House, near Kadri East Police station.
Capt Sathe’s cousin, who was heart-brokern over the incident, wrote on Facebook, “Its hard to believe that Dipak Sathe, my friend more than my cousin, is no more. He was pilot of Air India Express carrying passengers from Dubai in ‘Vande Bharat Mission’, which skidded off the runway at Kozhikode International Airport yesterday night…“
Nilesh Sathe added that Deepak Sathe survived an air crash in the early nineties when he was in the Indian Air Force. “…He was hospitalised for 6 months for multiple skull injuries and nobody thought that he will fly again. But his strong will power and love for flying made him clear the test again. It was a miracle…” he wrote.
The Captain is said to have made many friends and acquaintances in Mangaluru during his stay due to his good nature and demeanour. The news of his tragic demise came as a shock and to all those who knew and loved him.
Taking to Facebook soon after news of the plane crash broke, Munita Veigas Rao, a resident of Mangaluru and daughter-in-law of Capt Sathe’s landlords, wrote, “Very heartbreaking news about Sir Deepak Sathe. This gentleman was really an inspiration!! So full of life and always positive .Been a good friend to Lancelot Saldanha and our family. I still remember him saying to me… “ your son Zian is ur asset and nothing else.. invest in ur child’s education and talent!! Nothing else can make u happier than see him flourish! He had so much to speak, so many travel stories to tell, such a motivator .always kept enquiring about my health n sent me encouraging messages. I still feel terrible that I missed replying to his last msg he sent me few weeks ago. This wonderful man always kept in touch which was the best thing about him. we normally fail to do . Rest in peace hero!!! Salute you sir!“
Capt Sathe leaves behind his wife and two sons, both of whom are graduates from IIT Mumbai.
