Great son, always would help others in need: Parents of Wing Commander D V Sathe

New Delhi, Aug 08: A great son and always the first one to help others in need. This was the reaction from the parents of Wing Commander Deepak Sathe who was the captain of the ill-fated aircraft that crashed in Kozhikode on Friday.

His mother Neela Sathe told ANI that he was a great son. His teachers still appreciate him. He was always the one to help others in need, she also said.

During his 22 year career in the Indian Air Force, he learnt flying the Soviet origin MiG-21. He was awarded the coveted sword of honour in recognition of his skills when he graduated from the Air Force Academy at Dundigal near Hyderabad in 1981. He was also a former alumnus of the National Defence Academy.

He joined the IAF in 1981 and quit prematurely in June 2003. He was a very skilled pilot and had mentored several young pilots.

Twenty people were killed and scores injured when an Air India Express flight from Dubai with 190 on board overshot the tabletop runway in Kozhikode airport in Kerala on Friday night while landing in heavy rains and fell into a valley 35 feet below and broke into two portions, officials said.