Mathew Cyriac

Biography

Squadron Leader Mathew Cyriac hailed from Kottayam district in Kerala and was born on 03 December 1942. As his father served in a transferable job, he studied in various schools across different places, eventually completing his high school education at Model School, Trivandrum in 1959 before joining pre-degree college. An athlete of considerable skill and stamina, he excelled in field games and harboured a special interest in football, nurturing a dream of representing the country at the international level. Drawn to the uniformed services, he was selected for the Indian Air Force and was commissioned as a Pilot Officer on 16 May 1965 at the age of 22. He trained as a pilot as part of the 93rd Pilots' Course, and by 1977 had accumulated around eleven years of service, evolving into a competent pilot with expertise across various air operations. In November 1977 he was serving with the Air Headquarters Communication Squadron, based at Air Force Station Palam, whose primary role was to ferry VVIPs and visiting dignitaries. On 04 November 1977, Prime Minister Shri Morarji Desai was to fly aboard the TU-124 jet 'Pushpak' from Delhi to Jorhat, Assam, and Sqn Ldr Mathew Cyriac was selected as co-pilot. Approaching Jorhat in darkness and cloud cover, the crew found the aircraft off alignment and aborted the first landing. On the second attempt the landing gear grazed a treetop, damaging the nose wheel. Rather than risk the passengers, the crew chose to crash-land in a soft paddy field, so that the cockpit absorbed the maximum impact. The Prime Minister and passengers survived, but the crew perished. Sqn Ldr Mathew Cyriac laid down his life in the line of duty, saving the lives of those in his charge.