This day 25 years ago, Wing Commander (retd) Anand Kumar Das was sitting in a coach behind the air traffic control tower at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in north Bengaluru -a young technical officer then, just 21 days into the IAF. A few metres away in another coach was Flight Lieutenant (retd) Sajan Zacharias, another young cadet officer. Commissioned on March 4 that year into the Air Force Technical College (AFTC), Jalahalli, they were waiting for the "air experience" sortie as part of the curriculum. Eighty-six officers had been brought in soon after their breakfast and were waiting their turn to board an aircraft.
"We were excited and all of us wanted to be the first to board the flight," Das said. However, the two officers spoke to TOI because they weren't in the first batch to be airborne that day.
The officers who boarded the IAF's transport aircraft Avro that day lost their lives in what has gone down as one of IAF's biggest losses in peacetime. Das and Sajan watched as 25 of their course mates and three more - a pilot, flight engineer and navigator - lost their lives in a crash the IAF had then termed "unfortunate".
A lot has changed since then. Several course mates of those who lost their lives are serving as senior officers. Many more who were part of the SSC are leading civilian lives after having served the nation. But they've not forgotten that day, and 25 years later, they are reaching out to their mates' families, and want to commemorate their deaths. "We've been able to reach out to many while some are not reachable as they've changed their addresses and other issues," Sajan said, adding that many of the parents are happy and writing back to them and sharing memories of their batchmates.
25/03/16 Chethan Kumar/Times of India
To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline
"We were excited and all of us wanted to be the first to board the flight," Das said. However, the two officers spoke to TOI because they weren't in the first batch to be airborne that day.
The officers who boarded the IAF's transport aircraft Avro that day lost their lives in what has gone down as one of IAF's biggest losses in peacetime. Das and Sajan watched as 25 of their course mates and three more - a pilot, flight engineer and navigator - lost their lives in a crash the IAF had then termed "unfortunate".
A lot has changed since then. Several course mates of those who lost their lives are serving as senior officers. Many more who were part of the SSC are leading civilian lives after having served the nation. But they've not forgotten that day, and 25 years later, they are reaching out to their mates' families, and want to commemorate their deaths. "We've been able to reach out to many while some are not reachable as they've changed their addresses and other issues," Sajan said, adding that many of the parents are happy and writing back to them and sharing memories of their batchmates.
25/03/16 Chethan Kumar/Times of India
