June 2012 - Indian Airforce

After my Stage 3 training on Kiran MK-II
aircraft, I was posted to my first Fighter
Squadron at a premier Fighter base in the
West, for MOFT syllabus on MiG-21 T-96 aircraft.
The morale was high and so were the spirits. The
station housed two fighter squadrons operating
the same type of aircraft. So, the atmosphere
with 22 flying officers from Sem I & II wasn’t
very different from that in Training Command.
Every morning ushered in unlimited visibility
and high serviceability; one could hear reheat
after reheat, and it filled us with thrill. Soon, my
ground training was over and I commenced
flying on what was called the real fighters. She
was sleek and fast and could take anyone for a
ride. The time on downwind got over in a flick
and there was no time to get our parameters and
carry out vital actions, leave alone the situational
awareness on the circuit traffic. A few days later,
the first guy in the course cleared his solo check
and was launched in a fighter for his first solo.
With most of us due for our solo checks in a few
days, we proceeded along with the ACP pilot to
see the first solo landing of our course. He was
our very own - Callsign 919.
After about 20 mins, we heard Callsign 919
on R/T for the rejoin. He reported dead side and
turned downwind. In the first overshoot, he was
correctly on glide path, after which he turned
for downwind. In this time, Prowler formation
that had gone for a Basic Flying Manoeuvres
sortie to the sector, too had rejoined. Prowler
– 2, a Sem II trainee, joined circuit behind 919,
and the leader maintained overhead to regulate
gravy. 919 reported downwind, followed by
Prowler 2. I picked him up visually on finals - but
wait a second! These were two aircraft in close
proximity!! 919 while carrying out his downwind
vital actions had delayed his baseleg turn and
Prowler – 2 had turned at the correct baseleg
turning point. As a result when prowler-2 rolled
out on finals he was dangerously close to 919.
The ATC in a panic, gave a call to Prowler-2 to go
around and 919 to continue. However 919 also
initiated go around in a panic. The ACP pilot
intervened and told Prowler-2 to go around on
dead side. On seeing 919 in such close proximity
while going around, Prowler-2 put on a vicious bank
with undercarriage and flaps down and yanked
back towards dead side. The ACP pilot in a horror
yelled on R/T to offload, but the aircraft with nose
up and at very low speeds continued towards dead
side and started a wild wing to wing rocking which
is a symptom of approach of stall. But much to
everybody’s relief, it thereafter gradually lowered
nose, and spaced out to the correct dead side. Both
aircraft were recovered safely subsequently.
Lessons Learnt
The first solo had no SA of any other aircraft
on circuit; he was too busy carrying out his own
checks and maintaining parameters as accurately as
possible.
Prowler – 2, a Sem II trainee, happily assumed
that the traffic ahead would be maintaining correct
circuit pattern and was taken by surprise when he
saw the aircraft ahead going around.
The MiG-21 requires careful handling at
low speeds and such incidents can be avoided by
adhering to simple practices like making visual
contact with traffic ahead, and if no contact, by
confirming traffic on R/T.
After both aircraft landed, ACP pilot said “This is
exactly what you should NOT DO...Remember this
Black Demo”.
- Flt Lt K Sharma
The day before our first para-jump, the
instructor demonstrated all possible
malfunctions that one might encounter.
After watching a total malfunction,
i.e. failure of the parachute to deploy, one
of the students asked: “If we have a complete
malfunction, how much time do we have to deploy
our reserve parachute”
The Instructor replied: “You have the REST of
your life to deploy that reserve!”
INDIAN AIR FORCE 2 0 1 2 J u n e Aerospace Safety 19