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der flugleiter 2012/02 ATC International
60
FIREMAn steps in to bring plane carrying
70 passengers safely down when air traffic
controller forgets to turn up for work
A frantic pilot aboard a passenger flight was unable to contact
the air traffic control tower due to bring him in to land –
because the official on duty had forgotten to show up for
work. As the situation became critical, it fell to an on-duty
fireman at the tiny indian airport to race to the tower and
bring the Jet Airways plane – with 70 passengers aboard –
safely down. For 40 nailbiting minutes the fireman, M Basha,
took instruction over his mobile phone in how to handle the
complex radio transmitters.
At 7.40am he was able to give the ‚clear to land‘ instruction
and the aircraft touched down smoothly, with passengers
completely unaware of the crisis. The drama unfolded earlier
this month at Renigunta airport in Tirupati, in the indian
province of Andhra Pradesh, when the member of staff due
to start work at 7am failed to show up. Two flights were due
in – both taking off from Hyderabad. The Jet Airways ATR-72
flight was to arrive at 7.40am and a Spicejet plane, carrying
106 passengers, at 8am. En route to Tirupati, the pilot of the
Jet Airways plane frantically tried and failed to establish contact
with air traffic controllers.
When ATC deputy general manager Janardhan, who was
asleep at home, was alerted to the crisis, he requested that
firefighter Mr Basha rush to the ATC tower. For 40 minutes
officials of the Airport Authority of india in Tamil Nadu‘s capital
Chennai – the administrative control centre of Tirupati
airport – were on the edge of their seats as Mr Basha, instructed
by Mr Janardhan over the phone, handled the radio
transmitters, A communication, navigation and surveillance
officer on duty, L Anil Kumar, who was conducting a routine
check of the technical facilities, also pitched in to salvage
the situation.
in the meantime, Mr Basha was constantly in touch with
both the flights. Around 7.40 am, he gave the ‚clear to land‘
instruction to the first plane. Thankfully, shortly afterwards
an air traffic control officer reached the tower and took
charge. The second flight landed under the ATC officer‘s supervision.
Tirupati airport director RS D‘Cruz said the crisis
on January 9 had been reported to AAi‘s Chennai-based regional
executive director D Devaraj and he had recommended
appropriate action after conducting an inquiry. A team of
two senior officials from Chennai was dispatched to Tirupati
on January 10. All the officers concerned, including Mr Basha
and Mr Kumar, were questioned.