‘A commercial pilot has a far greater responsibility than a fighter pilot’
Acertified pilot herself and married to commercial pilot Rishi Attari, actor Gul Panag is deeply affected by the news of the plane crash at Kerala’s Kozhikode airport on Friday evening.
“It is depressing and I am deeply disturbed. I am intimately aware of the level of responsibility the job carries. The ability to safeguard the lives of 200 people with every little decision you make is a huge responsibility,” she shares.
Panag shares that as a pilot, she has taken a pledge to not comment on anything speculative at this moment, but she says, “Devastated as we are , we must all wait, and as part of the aviation fraternity, I wouldn’t like to speculate.”
The 41-year-old urges people to not jump to conclusions. “Ultimately, the pilot is doing the best he can do at that moment. We must keep that in mind before passing a judgement, which is easy for aviation enthusiasts to do,” the actor cautions.
Also, batting for a fair outcome, Panag says that there should be a thorough and just investigation, so that everyone learns the cause behind the incident.
“Whether it is holding people responsible for poorly marked lights on the runway or other stuff, the investigations should be made public. If there was an infrastructural lapse, people responsible should be crucified,” she adds.
Praising Wing Commander Deepak Vasant Sathe, the captain of the ill-fated aircraft, the actor says, “At some levels, the responsibility a commercial pilot carries is far greater than a fighter pilot. Wing Commander Sathe’s service record is decorated and whatever the findings may be, he is already a hero,” she concludes.