‘Speculation in aircrash of Gen Rawat’s chopper is nonsensical’

 

The classic mould in which he has been cast as an air warrior of proven merit disturbs him no end when he hears senseless speculation about the cause of the unfortunate aircrash that claimed the life of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Laxman Singh Rawat, his wife Madhulika, his Military Advisor Brig. Lidder and others. Indulging in such kite flying should be an absolute anathema to all sane thinking people, he asserts.

Air Vice Marshal Suryakant Chafekar (Retired) AVSM Shaurya Chakra, debunks every grain of speculation about such an important matter. “How can we indulge in such uninformed speculation?”, he asks in righteous indignation.

There could be innumerable reasons why such a crash took place -- in the process taking lives of everybody but on board. That the unfortunate incident becomes the subject of nationwide discussion, is understandable. But when some elements indulge in speculation that ranges from sabotage to bad flying to technical failure of the Mi17 V5 helicopter between Coonoor and Wellington in Tamil Nadu -- without knowing how such flights are managed, then it hurts, AVM Chafekar says.

He really knows. For, looking after Very Very Important Persons (VVIPs) and Very Important Persons (VIPs)in two tenures at the Air Head Quarters (AHQ), Suryakant Chafekar presided over all such flights in the country. He came across tough situations involving safety and security of VVIPs and VIPs. He could handle each of those situations simply because absolutely non-negotiable protocols are in place, making it impossible for anybody to breach those and invite trouble of untold seriousness.

These protocols are our safety cover. They include strict norms about the flying machines, their fliers, their maintenance personnel, other personnel engaged in any such flights. Every adverse possibility is taken into advance consideration -- as if some Devil’s Advocate is raising doubts. “That is a truly no-nonsense process. Every dirty possibility is taken into consideration, and responses fashioned. The effort is to ensure that no untoward incident takes place”, AVM Chafekar says.

Now that a terrible accident has taken place with disastrous outcome, the Tri-Service Inquiry will explore all possibilities. And in any such situation, the probe begins by eliminating all ugly possibilities one by one, beginning from a possible-sabotage theory.

“But then, it is only senseless to speculate about the sabotage angle and publicise it widely in the media or social media.

Of course, I have not been a helicopter pilot. But as in-charge of VVIP and VIP flight management at the Air Head Quarters, I am fully aware of how things are managed and monitored.

“Let us see what goes into consideration. First, the machine. Only proven aircraft are picked up, and the best among those are kept for VVIP transportation. Then the man flying and managing those machine. They, too, are persons with impeccable record. And each of those men is brought in only after a very thorough security check against questionable antecedents. Each VVIP pilot is allowed to fly into a spot only if he has been there at least once. Each flying machine is given a thorough pre-flight check and a post-flight one as well -- so that every possibility of a human or technical error is eliminated. And in the case of aircraft for VVIP use, all these checks are made twice over”, AVM Chafekar adds.

Yet, disaster may take place, though not exactly because the machine or the men in it run out of luck, the seasoned former Indian Air Force high-ranker insists. “Despite all the precaution, result may go wrong”, he rues shaking his head in sadness.

But none of these should instigate anybody to indulge in wanton speculation. For, any such effort may complicate many issues all the more. In the case of the disaster with Mi17 V5 helicopter snatching away the country’s first CDS and his entourage, it is absolutely unwarranted for anybody to indulge in kite-flying. “That is not going to take us anywhere”, AVM Chafekar asserts.

He agrees that several factors may collude to perpetrate a disaster. “An Mi17 V5 chopper is not a machine whose trajectory can be changed or braked in split-second. If there happens to be a hard stop, there is every possibility of the stalling of the engine, or stopping or obliterating of the rotor blades operation since power cannot be transmitted instantly to the peripheral equipment or withdrawn from it”, Suryakant Chafekar says.

Also, there are situations when the pilot is doing visual flying or may choose to do instrument flying. He cannot change from one mode to the other in an instant. The machine and the system takes its time to respond, and even that split-second can be enough for a disaster. In the case of helicopter, the pilot’s visual notice of the landing spot or helipad is absolutely essential. The ill-fated Mi17 V5 chopper flying General Rawat and his co-travelers was just about 18-20 kilometers away and flying over the hilly Nilgiri region. “That is a peculiar terrain where the weather changes within minutes. I have flown in that area where weather is often unpredictable. But when the actual crash took place, at the helipad, the weather was clear and sunny. That is the tragic part,” AVM Chafekar adds.

He has been one of the best pilots of the Indian Air Force. He holds the world record for landing an aircraft as massive as an AN 32 at the world’s highest airfield at Daulat Beg Oldie. He has faced an accident, too, from which he survived. “When that happened, a lot of speculation was done by unthinking people. That I survived was God’s grace. But that speculation had affected by son who was then in the 9th

standard. We had to do a lot of talking-to with him to

calm him down. That experience has taught me that speculation should be a complete taboo in such instances,” AVM Chafekar says.

His classic grooming is obvious -- both, as the son of a great Armed Forces officer of yesteryears, and as an Indian Air Force officer. He talks straight, and knows what is is talking about. He advises everybody to avoid speculation about the aircrash of General Rawat’s helicopter. “Such a restraint is absolutely necessary”, he asserts.