Fg Offr Satyabrata Nandi

Fg Offr Satyabrata Nandi hailed from Kolkata in West Bengal and was born on 12 May 1940. He was commissioned into the Indian Air Force on 04 Jun 1967 at the age of 27 years. He was commissioned in the flying stream of the IAF and got trained as a transport pilot. After completing his flying training, Fg Offr Satyabrata Nandi served with various flying squadrons gathering experience in various air operations. After serving for sometime he got married to Ms Rakhi. 

By 1971, Fg Offr S Nandi had put in about 4 years of service and evolved into a professionally competent transport pilot. As the war clouds gathered in the later part of 1971, Fg Offr S Nandi's Squadron moved to its operational location and got involved in thick of operations.

Indo - Pak war (Air Operation) : 17 Dec 1971

During 1971, Fg Offr S Nandi was serving with 43 Sqn, known as “Ibexes” with Wg Cdr KC(Koka)Sharma as its Commanding Officer. 43 Squadron of the Indian Air Force was formed at AF Station Jorhat in Eastern Sector on 20 Jan 1958 and was equipped with C-47 Dakota aircraft. As the war broke out on 03 Dec 1971 with Pakistan, the Squadron operated from various Air Bases and undertook numerous air missions. Though the 1971 war got over on 16 Dec when the Pakistani forces surrender en mass, border skirmishes in some pockets and air support operations were continuing. Fg Offr S Nandi was tasked to undertake one such air operation on 17 Dec 1971. The assigned task was an air support mission on Mohanbari- Moriganj axis in the eastern sector.

Besides Fg Offr S Nandi as a co pilot, the other crew-members included Flt Lt Joaquim D'Souza as a captain, Plt Offr R B Umralikar as Navigator, and Flt Sgt H Thakur as Flight Engineer. The air-crew carried out their pre-flight checks and took off in their Dakota aircraft (BJ-622) as planned on 17 Dec 1971. The flight was uneventful in the beginning but later developed some technical snag which made the aircraft uncontrollable. Despite the best efforts of Fg Offr S Nandi and his captain Flt Lt Joaquim D'Souza and other air crew members, the aircraft crashed over Machuka area. Fg Offr S Nandi and other crew members Flt Lt Joaquim D'Souza, Plt Offr R B Umralikar, and Flt Sgt H Thakur could not survive the crash and lost their lives. Fg Offr S Nandi was was a brave soldier and committed air warrior, who laid down his life in the line of his duty.

Fg Offr Satyabrata Nandi is survived by his wife Smt Rakhi Nandi.