Disaster takes a stroll on our runways

Without prejudging the causes and consequences of Chennai’s Jumbo crash, one perforce points to the future possibility of higher instances of revolt by the old aircraft in the air as well as near the ground. This is but natural.

If one were to bring an analogy and compare the functional efficiency ratio between human being and flying machines, perhaps the result would be 1:3. In other words, a five-year old aircraft would be comparable to the physical efficiency of a 15-year old youngster, and 20 years for an airplane would be equivalent to 60 years of human life. It is thus evident that just as human efficiency after forties declines without proper health care, aircraft too responds to the process of diminishing efficiency with age andrequires extra maintenance on ground. Thus, in a given situation an aircraft with 100 operational gadgets would theoretically require at least 95 per cent of its machines to be functional to keep it safely airborne. This minimum number of functioning equipment is known as MEL (minimum equipment list) and its maintenance axiomatically becomes difficult for an ageing fleet.

The old age of flying machine, apart from the engine, requires careful inspection on areas of metal fatigue and undercarriage, flaps and slats, the various joints of fuselage, wing and the tail section. The engine can be changed if required, but the basic structure of fuselage and the wings are normally irreplaceable.

The focus, however, goes beyond the age of an aircraft and encompasses the international airports of India. The inherent danger to Indian airports now lies in the dangerously growing contiguity of landing strips to the densely inhabited areas surrounding approach and glide path and take off radials. Virtually all Indianairports have become islands in the midst of human ocean. Delhi’s runway 28-10 is flanked by Gurgaon Road in the east and Pappankalan in the west. (The latter became famous with an IAF An-32 crash on March 7, 1999 that killed 22). Delhi runway is also well known for its sizable bird population creating avoidable hazard for all. Calcutta’s parallel runways 01R-19L and 01L-19R have glide path where aircraft overfly slow and low on either side of which co-exist a dense population and flock of birds. Though Chennai’s main runway 07-25 is comparatively less hazardous — thanks to its lower population density vis-a-vis Delhi and Calcutta — the proximity of Tambaram air force is of concern and the wrong landing of a Saudia Boeing at Tambaram in 1997 is a grim reminder to the posterity.

The most difficult of all metros, however, is Mumbai’s runway 27-09. Apart from the `illegal’ occupation of Mumbai’s airport land, every landing and take off there is hazardous and a split second’s misjudgement can plough anaircraft through a jungle of human hutments. Mumbai’s difficulty is further compounded by the steep descent from the Western Ghat and the permanent “notice to airman”, “runways 08 at Juhu should not be mistaken for runway 09 at Mumbai and exercise caution and use all aids to avoid wrong identification”. Mumbai’s 09 and 14 runways require special take off procedures to avoid Trombay hill. This apart, the monsoon wind downdraft, coupled with the Ghat/Thane Creek windshear, slums extending to the forward edge of the airfield make the aircraft landing in Mumbai one of the trickiest in India’s international airports, especially in the monsoon.

However, the worst possible and potential use for future concern is the canine menace. On September 8, 1998, the Mumbai airport was fully closed for more than half-an-hour owing to operation of live dogs. With birds in the approach/gliding path and dogs on the take off path, can one blame the pilot or an aircraft in case of a disaster?

Apart from the metros, otherinternational airports also possess soft spots requiring urgent action and improvement. Amritsar, despite a 9500 plus runway, has frequently been found lacking in a reliable VOR service and the civil aviation fielders are regularly advised to cross-check with other navigation-idea.

The pilots approaching Ahmedabad need to know two things — bird menace and owing to unlit obstructions in the circuit area, circuit below 500 average ground level are not permitted. An Indian Airlines Boeing 737 crashed into a high tension wire killing all but four on October 19, 1988, just short of the Ahmedabad runway. The accident still haunts Ahmedabad.

Bangalore, the aviation industry airfield of India, is well known for its “hump” runway, and a well-known personality built obstacles ranging between a 173 feet “unlighted” church to 400 “lighted” air mast and 602 “lighted” TV mast. Though owing to human error, the Indian Airlines airbus 320 crashed off the Bangalore runway on February 14, 1990 and this should makethe aviation fraternity more than active to avoid making tall structures near an airfield.

The Calicut runway requires special qualification pilots owing to a large number of hillocks around the airfield. Recently, Indian Airlines had to abort its plan to operate the wide-bodied Airbus-300 due to difficulties in Calicut. The small runway of Patna faces bird menace in the circuit area near the aerodrome and the electric poles at the end of the runway. While its neighbour Varanasi, with almost an identical runway length, is flanked by trees in the approach path.

Not that the aviation world is not aware of these difficulties surrounding the international airports of the country. But the need of the hour is quick and decisive action to ensure aviation safety. Accidents can occur either due to human or non-human error, and the ground environment of the airport too can be divided into two parts — natural hazard and man-made obstacles. The latter certainly can be tackled much easily with careful planning andtimely action. The idea, therefore, is to be aware and disseminate aviation-related information to the public at large to mobilise opinion for a better, safer and smoother road to aviation safety in the international airports of India.

The author is an alumnus of the National Defence College of India