INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
ANI |
Updated: Jan 28, 2020 07:10 IST
New Delhi [India], Jan 28 (ANI): To commemorate the sacrifice of air warriors in the TU-124 crash in 1977, Air Headquarters
Communication Squadron is organising a bicycle expedition from the crash site at Jorhat in Assam to Palam in Delhi, symbolically retracing
"On November 4, 1977, a TU-124 of Air Headquarters Communication Squadron, while flying from Delhi to Jorhat crashed near Jorhat
The dignitaries on board consisted of the then Prime Minister Morarji Desai, PK Thungon (then Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh), John
Lobo (then IB Chief) and Kanti Lal Desai (Morarji Desai's son)
The entire delegation along with other passengers survived the accident with minor injuries
However, the flight crew, namely, Wing Commander Clarence J D'Lima, Wing Commander Joginder Singh, Squadron Leader VVSNM Sunkara, Squadron
leader Mathew Cyriac and Flight Lieutenant OP Arora paid the supreme sacrifice while ensuring the safety of the passengers," read an
official statement.The cycling expedition team consists of 13 air warriors of Air Headquarters Communication Squadron
The team will cover a distance of 2500 km over a period of 17 days (January 27 till February 12), retracing the path of the aircraft from
the crash site back to the Squadron
The expedition was flagged off on Monday from the crash site - approximately 8 km from Air Force Station Jorhat - by Air Cmde MK Jha, Air
Officer Commanding, Air Force Station Jorhat in the presence of RK Khirmey, who was a survivor of the crash, and Group Captain Saurav Shiv,
the current Commanding Officer of the Squadron.The cycling team is being led by Wing Commander Irfan Wahid Khan Jarial, a helicopter pilot
with over 4500 hours of flying
