The Bird Has Flown

It was a mission deemed impossible. But four days after a Saudia Airlines Boeing-747 aircraft landed at the Tambaram Indian Air Force (IAF) runway instead of Chennai International airport by 'mistake' -after hours of deliberations-it managed to fly out off the tiny airbase. Saudia imported its senior-most, Boeing-trained commander, Captain Jam Joom, for the operation. At 4.48 pm. He performed a near miracle when he steered the huge plane off the tarmac after running the shortest distance for a Boeing-3,960 feet. The airstrip is barely 4,500 feet long and a jumbo requires 8,000 ft strip space for takeoff.

According to Saudia spokesperson, the aircraft had to be stripped bare for the risk-fraught flight. The air-conditioning unit was taken off, the fuel tank was emptied-leaving only a minimum quantity to cruise the six nautical miles to the Chennai runway. What came as a big help was favourable wind conditions-the cheerful easterly-but the pilot had to wait three-and-a-half hour for it.

The 'big bird', which landed safely at Chennai airport, flew off from India around midnight. But not before Saudia Airlines promised to caught up 1.16 million Riyals, over Rs 1 crore, to the Air Force as landing and parking charges for the four days it was holed up there. IAF officials say this is a tentative fine; the damages may be higher.

On June 2, the civilian aircraft carrying over 330 passengers and 17 crew members had a stunning escape when the pilot landed on the Zero Five runway of the airbase, instead of the Zero Seven tarmac at Chennai. The wide-bodies, heavy Jumbo jet screeched to a halt at the edge of the iaf runway, barely 100 metres from the huddle of offices at the airbase.

This bizarre episode, according to sources in the Air Traffic Controller's office, began when the commander of the Saudia aircraft, Captain Khayat, sought visual clearance after sighting the runway. Once atc instructed the pilot to circle around once, and then prepare to land. By then, the pilot had sighted the airforce strip, and for some strange reason, landed there On touching ground, he knew he had committed a grave mistake but was prompt enough to apply the brakes, saving the lives of hundreds.

As soon as news reached atc that it had landed at Tambaram, it triggered off panic down the line. First, the airport authorities sealed off the airbase and the passengers, who didn't have a clue of the happenings, complained that the air-conditioning system was switched off. It was only five hours later, when they were safely evacuated, that they learnt of he miracle they learnt of the miracle they were involved in.

But iaf sources tell a different story. They claim that the aircraft landed despite being refused permission by the iaf base. While now it is clear that there is no conspiracy behind the landing, the atc's role comes under scrutiny. It is reliable learnt that the radar at the international airport was not working and the atc officials were purely relying on the pilot to sight the runway. "When the Saudia captain called atc was wondering where the aircraft was. They had no clue that it had indeed landed at the deference air strip," said one incredulous official.

Then, despite the fact that air force officials say that the Air Force Controller had ordered firing of red cartridges in the air, signalling refusal of permission, no one is willing to corroborate this claim. At six in the morning, some sources recall, there was no monitoring at the airbase. Only when the aircraft actually touched ground did they realise the true import of the whole affair.

After conducting a thorough inquiry under Air Commodore P.N. Devy, which ruled out any attempts of sabotage by the aircraft, the iaf gave clearance to the Saudia authorities to move the aircraft. But, the sheer size was a snag. After meeting for hours, experts at the Directorate of Civil Aviation (dgca) even wondered whether the iaf airbase would be the final resting place for the Jumbo. All sorts of suggestions were offered: some said the aircraft should be converted to scrap; others thought of stripping the wings and towing it to the international airport by road; a majority said the aircraft could fly out if it was stripped bare. This view prevailed.

The dgca, after hectic parleys with Boeing Industries and the Saudia Airlines expert, cleared the flight provided there was favourable weather conditions; and only if the weight was reduced to a minimum. On Friday evening, when Captain Jam Joom entered the cockpit, everyone present at the airbase whispered a prayer. The dust-storm that followed the takeoff was but a minor irritant when news came in nine minutes later that the bird had landed.