Kozhikode crash report: Grounded in anomalies, say serving pilots

Serving pilots have raised serious doubts about the veracity of the investigation report

The much delayed final investigation report of the Kozhikode air crash has squarely blamed the pilots – former Indian Air Force commander Deepak Sathe and his first officer Akhilesh Kumar -- for the fatal crash in August 2020 that killed 21 people including both pilots.

Serving pilots have raised serious doubts over the findings of the report released in September.

The report says the 59-year-old Sathe, a diabetic, took medications that induced hypoglycaemia (a drastic drop in blood sugar), which distorted his decision-making abilities, leading to the crash. The report states he was “taking tablet Glimepiride, which has a very