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Pilot in-command of the crashed Air India Express flight Captain Deepak Vasant Sathe was one of the most experienced commanders with more than 10,000 flying hours and had landed aircraft 27 times at the Karipur airport in the past, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Saturday.
Captain Sathe was among those killed in the accident.
The Minister was speaking to mediapersons after arriving in Kozhikode to take stock of the crash of the Dubai-Kozhikode AIE flight with 190 people on board here on Friday night that left 18 people dead and scores injured and the relief measures.
“The aircraft was captained and operated by one of our most distinguished, experienced commanders, Captain Deepak Vasant Sathe. In fact, the Captain had more than 10,000 hours of flying experience. He has landed on this very air piece, I think as many as 27 times including this year," Puri said.
He appreciated the local airport authority officials, all other agencies and local people who participated in the rescue operations soon after the accident which also killed co-pilot Akhilesh Kumar. He said they acted in an exemplary manner.
The Boeing 737 aircraft overshot the tabletop runway at the airport here while landing in heavy rains and fell into a valley 35 feet below and broke into two portions.
Investigation underway
Earlier, he in the day, he tweeted, “Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) of the ill-fated aircraft have been retrieved. AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau) is conducting investigations."
A DGCA official said the two devices - DFDR and CVR - were with the AAIB and would be sent to Delhi for further investigation.
“Reached Kozhikode to take stock of the status & implementation of relief measures after the air accident last evening,” Puri tweeted. “My heart goes out to the families & friends of the 18 people who lost their lives in the air accident involving @FlyWithIX Flight IX-1344 in Kozhikode last evening & offer my heartfelt condolences,” the minister said. Reasons for the mishap are being investigated, he added.
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