Santacruz resident Sanjiv Thakur says his uncle Capt SS Thakur saved 347 in 1987
Santacruz resident Sanjiv Thakur says his uncle Capt SS Thakur saved 347 in 1987
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Capt SS Thakur who saved 347 lives in 1987; and
Sanjiv Thakur shows the newspaper clippings which had reported his uncle's bravado |
EVEN as America hails Captain Chesley Burnett 'Sully' Sullenberger as a national hero, after he successfully carried out the emergency water landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River, New York City, on January 15, 2009, thus saving the lives of 150 passengers and crew, Sunday MiD DAY tracked down the family of an unsung local hero Captain SS Thakur from Mumbai, who had achieved a similar feat, more than 22 years ago in Fiumicino Airport, Rome.
Speaking from his Santacruz residence, Sanjiv Thakur informed that it on August 15, 1987, his late uncle Capt SS Thakur, a former Indian Air Force pilot, who later joined Air India as a commercial pilot, had saved several passengers through sheer presence of mind.
Talking about the incident, Sanjiv said that on August 15, 1987, his uncle, who was commanding flight AI 130 from Fiumicino Airport, Rome, to New Delhi, applied emergency brakes and aborted the take-off at a critical point after the aircraft engine sucked in a flock of sea gulls.
"Three of the four jet engines, which were on full thrust, were blocked with the birds. The jammed motors overheated and caught fire. In the process of safely maneuvering the aircraft, all the 16 tyres deflated. But my uncle kept his cool and managed to save the lives 347 passengers, who were mostly Indians and Italians," said Sanjiv.
Substantiating his claim, Sanjiv produced cuttings of old Italian newspapers, along with letters of appreciation from Ratan Tata, Eduardo Falerio, the then minister for external affairs, Italy and a thankful passenger, PD Gune, who was then the managing director of Kirloskar Pneumatic Ltd.
Sanjiv added that though the incident was widely reported in Italian papers and television, his fete was totally ignored back home.
"Even the letter of appreciation, received from the Italian embassy was caught in red tape and was accidentally discovered by my uncle many months after the incident," complained Sanjiv, who is an IT Consultant for projects like Mandke Hospital (now renamed as Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital). Sanjiv is also writing a book on Indo-Pak relations.
Sanjiv added that until his final days, Captain Thakur was unhappy with the Government machinery for its lethargic functioning. "Though he was not seeking any personal glorification for his flying skills, he was justifiably upset about the time and manner in which the letter was delivered. He even sent a displeasure letter to the Director of Operations, pointing out these facts," says the nephew. Capt Thakur retired from Air India in 1992 and passed away the same year.
Sullenberger's bravadoPilot Chesley Sullenberger landed a birth-hit plane over the Hudson River, offshore from Manhattan, New York City, and landed in the water, thus saving around 155 lives. The former US Air Force pilot's skills were widely publicised and he is now being considered a national hero. In a humble reaction, he said, "I know I can speak for the entire crew when I tell you we were simply doing the job we were trained
to do."
