Service No : 31602
Date of Birth : Apr 27,1986
Birth Place : Delhi
Service: Air Force
Last Rank: Flight Lieutenant
Unit: 157 HU, AF
Award: Vayu Sena Medal
Date of Martyrdom : Jun 25, 2013
Flight Lieutenant Tapan Kapoor, VM
Flight Lieutenant Tapan Kapoor hailed from Delhi and was born on 27 April 1986. Son of Shri Naresh Kapoor and Smt Lata Kapoor, Flt Lt Tapan grew up in Delhi and studied from Ramjas school Delhi. Known by his nickname ‘Tony” among his friends and family he was very athletic and adventurous. He took keen interest in sports and excelled in playing basketball, badminton and Cricket. He was endowed with multiple talents which made him popular among the teachers and students during his school days. He was selected as the School Captain and also captained his school Basket and Football teams and won many laurels. He was also a good speaker and led his school team in numerous debate competitions.
Flt Lt Tapan Kapoor was very affable and spirited person, liked by everyone who came in contact with him. He was also fascinated by the airplanes and pursued his interest with full vigor and sincerity. His fascination with aircraft generated strong inclination towards the Indian Air Force and he saw himself donning the Air Force uniform one day. He completed his aeronautical engineering from Indian Institute of Aeronautics and joined Indigo Airlines as an Aircraft maintenance engineer. But his heart was set on the IAF and he continued to follow his dream. Eventually he got selected for the IAF and joined the 78 Aeronautical Engineering Course. He was commissioned into the Indian Air Force on 03 Jan 2011 in the Aeronautical Engineering(Mechanical) branch and later got trained on MI-17 helicopter.
Mi-17 Helicopter Crash: 25 June 2013
On 25 June 2013 Flt Lt Tapan Kapoor along with the captain and Crew of the Mi-17 helicopter was tasked to move essential supplies and National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) teams to Kedarnath, located at an elevation of over 11000 feet and rescue stranded pilgrims from Kedarnath during the return sorties. Inclement weather, frequently drifting clouds and poor light conditions prevalent in the unforgiving terrain of the narrow valley led to frequent delays in the operations and this made their task extremely demanding. Realizing the gravity of their task and the criticality of the evacuation of some of the stranded pilgrims, Flt Lt Tapan Kapoor and his crew volunteered for the critical mission and got airborne in the first available window of opportunity to position his helicopter at Guptakashi.
During the return leg from Kedarnath to Guptakashi, the aircraft impacted on the steep slopes of the valley and crashed. The weather was so bad at that time that it took a long time for rescue teams to reach the crash site. On that day the helicopter carried out three sorties which were undertaken under deteriorating weather conditions. During these three sorties, they successfully saved 80 precious lives. For this act of conspicuous courage, professional competence and successful execution of a risky mission to save precious lives in hostile weather conditions Flt Lt Tapan Kapoor was posthumously awarded “Vayu Sena Medal“.
Flt Lt Tapan Kapoor is survived by his father Shri Naresh Kapoor, mother Smt Lata Kapoor and sister Shweta Kapoor.
The citation for the Vayu Sena Medal awarded to him reads:
A large number of pilgrims had been stranded in the narrow valleys of Kedarnath, for over five days without food and water. The Mi-17 V5 helicopter with Flt Lt Tapan Kapoor as its crew rose to the occasion and promptly commenced rescue operations from 21 Jun 2013 onward. They were charged with an onerous responsibility of saving as many lives as possible under extremely challenging conditions. The crew flew over 22 critical rescue missions, resulting in saving more than 190 pilgrims who were stranded in the worst affected areas of the Kedarnath valley.
On 25 June 2013 Flt Lieutenant Tapan Kapoor along with the captain and Crew of the Mi-17 helicopter was tasked to move essential supplies and National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) teams to Kedarnath, located at an elevation of over 11000 feet and rescue stranded pilgrims from Kedarnath during the return sorties. Inclement weather, frequently drifting clouds and poor light conditions prevalent in the unforgiving terrain of the narrow valley led to frequent delays in the operations and this made their task extremely demanding. Realizing the gravity of their task and the criticality of the evacuation of some of the stranded pilgrims, Flt Lt Tapan Kapoor and his crew volunteered for the critical mission and got airborne in the first available window of opportunity to position his helicopter at Guptakashi. During the return leg from Kedarnath to Guptakashi, the aircraft impacted on the steep slopes of the valley and crashed. The weather was so bad at that time that it took a long time for rescue teams to reach the crash site. On that day the helicopter carried out three sorties which were undertaken under deteriorating weather conditions. During these three sorties, they successfully saved 80 precious lives. For this act of conspicuous courage, professional competence and successful execution of a risky mission to save precious lives in hostile weather conditions Flt Lt Tapan Kapoor was posthumously awarded “Vayu Sena Medal“.
On the day of his last journey posters were pasted all over the narrow alleys of Kinari Bazaar at Chandni Chowk in the Walled City area, where his house stands. The posters depicted a sense of pride that area residents shared with the officer’s family. “He was our son and although all of us are saddened by the tragedy, we are proud that he laid down his life for the country.” ‘Adventurous and athletic’ was how a school friend Varun Jain described Flt Lt Tapan Kapoor.
M. Behra a friend his father Shri Naresh Kapoor for the past two decades, said Tapan had left his house on June 16 for Kolkata. “He called them regularly and shared his on-field experience. On the day of the crash, none of us had watched television and were oblivious of the developments. It was in the evening that Tony’s (Tapan’s pet name) uncle from Mumbai called his mother and inquired about him. We made several calls but could not reach him and then contacted his office,” Mr. Behra said, adding that it was around 7-30 p.m. that Tapan’s death was confirmed.
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Source
- http://netindian.in/news/2014/01/26/00027739/president-approves-368-gallantry-awards-decorations-armed-forces-personnel-
- http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/chandni-chowk-misses-its-hero/article4859003.ece
- http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-bidding-adieu-with-tears-and-pride-1854799
- http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/uttarakhand-proud-that-he-lost-his-life-for-the-country-says-martyrs-family-526639
- http://www.prokerala.com/news/photos/body-of-flight-lieutenant-tapan-kapoor-died-during-the-rescue-operation-in-17133.html
- http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/chandini-chowk-bids-adieu-to-its-hero-flt-lt-kapoor-113062800946_1.html
- http://indianherald.com.au/indian-news/chandini-chowk-bids-adieu-to-its-hero-flt-lt-kapoor/6041/
- http://nitinagokhale.blogspot.in/2014/01/iaf-indian-army-bravehearts-awarded.html
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Anubhav Sachdev
2017at10:22 pmTapan was not only a course mate and a friend but also a very fine officer who gave his best in every situation. You’ll always live in our memories buddy.
Sqn Ldr Ashwin Kale
2017at12:01 amYou will always be missed bro..
Anyone who knows you will be having so many good memories with you because you were a person who always keeps everyone happy..
Sqn Ldr M G Prasannakumar
2018at10:24 pmBro I remember you very fondly. Were together in same sqns right through training.. You taught how to keep cool even during the tough training regime. I still remember the play in which we were together and many other fond memories.. Thinking of you makes me realize how fragile we are and it moulds me everytime to be a better human being always and take life lively and with positivity.
The pain of loss of a friend is so hard to take.
Your thoughts are still green in my memories.
Amit Dadhich
2020at6:25 pmAn air warrior full of compassion and and devotion to his profession.
He was a good friend, an affectionate son and a caring brother. I have always seen him cheerful in all circumstances. A go getter with never say die attitude. His multi talented personality and friendliness made him liked by all.
Such men are very rare and I consider myself to be lucky to have been his friend.
No sacrifice is greter than that to one’s motherland. We all in the Blues and otherwise, will always cherish the moments we spent together.
Shishir Jain
2020at6:33 amyou will always be in hearts dear friend… will always miss the crazy times spent with you..!!!
Col Subbarao
2020at11:34 amYou Are a RoleModel
You showed that Duty is more important than Life
You inspire Others
Our Humble Salutations