Hunter is the most forgiving single seat transonic jet fighter aircraft that I was lucky to have flown during my service career. I learnt a lot about flying on this aircraft. I flew Hunters with the 'Bulls' as part of my OCU (Operational Conversion Unit) syllabus in the year 1974. After a stint on Canberras; completing my flying instructors course; and instructing on the HJT-16, I was posted once again to the Lightnings, flying the Hunter aircraft. The Lightnings were chosen to form the 9-aircraft formation aerobatic team with Hunter aircraft. I was then posted to the Flaming Arrows, as I was not operational on the aircraft at the time. Bulk of my Hunter flying was done with this squadron.
I remember one particular sortie, which had been uneventful until I joined circuit for a landing. While carrying out vital actions on downwind, I lowered the undercarriage lever and waited for the customary sounds of the undercarriage unlocking, dropping down under gravity, duly controlled by hydraulic pressure, and locking in the down position, with the 3-greens light illuminating in the cockpit, indicating that the undercarriage had locked down. The call that follows completion of vital actions is, Callsign (c/s), followed by downwind, 3-greens, and intentions. On this occasion, the sound of the undercarriage dropping seemed a bit amiss. It was confirmed a little later with only 2-greens, indicating that my nose and right gear had locked down and the left light was off. A quick check of hydraulic pressure - all normal. Fused bulb ruled out. Next - inform ATC, c/s downwind 2 greens, left undercarriage light is off, descending to 500 ft on finals and coming in for a visual inspection to ascertain position of the left undercarriage. In such a situation the ATC positions a man with a binocular to physically check the position of the said undercarriage.
I descended and flew infront of the ATC. It was confirmed that my left wheel was still in the up position, whereas the other two appeared in the down position. Since the hydraulics and electrical circuits were both behaving normally, there were no further actions that could be taken to lower the undercarriage. The Senior Flying Supervisor in the ATC had informed my CO, Wg Cdr SS Dange, about the emergency and my CO immediately rushed to the ATC. I was asked to burn fuel to the bare minimum in the mean while, as I would be doing a 2-wheel landing. Extra fuel adds to the fire risk, after the aerodynamics cannot hold the wing up, on landing.
I next hear my CO's voice on R/T from the ATC. "Joe, Dange here, could you attempt to bounce the aircraft on the right wheel". "Sir, affirmative, will try". Got onto downwind, gave my R/T calls, and came in for a normal landing. After flare out, bounced the aircraft on the right wheel, while ensuring that the nose wheel stays off the ground and the throttle does not go fully back. One bounce ...... full throttle ..... slowly the aircraft started to pick up speed and climb away. My fuel state was now really low. Informed ATC that I would be coming in for a landing on 2-wheels. The ATC in the meanwhile had prepared the emergency drill and all crash vehicles were put in action stations. CO advises me to jettison canopy after flare out so as to rule out the possibility of it jamming after the aircraft finishes with its ground manoeuvres; it was a given that the aircraft would be leaving the runway to the left, after the wing can no longer be kept up at slower speeds. The 100 gallon drop tanks were empty and were kept on the wing to take some load during the wing coming down.
I come in for a landing in the centre of the right lane, flare out, jettison canopy; which has a clean separation from the aircraft. Touch down on right wheel, keeping the wing up with ailerons, and aircraft straight with rudders, gently lower nose wheel onto the runway. Gingerly apply brakes, speed is washing off gradually and the wing started to drop, even with full right stick. The aircraft starts to swing to the left, the left drop tank makes contact with the ground, sparks can be seen on the left. Full brakes; only the right would work, and help to slow the aircraft. Now the aircraft goes off into the kutcha and swings even more sharply, as the speed drops and the rudder loses its effectivenesss, as also the additional drag on the left. We are approaching abeam the middle marker.
There is a manned runway crossing just at the middle of the runway. I spot a DSC guard on duty at the crossing on the left, and my aircraft is heading directly into him. I can see fear in his eyes as the aircraft is still at quite a clip (from his perspective, as it is heading directly into him) on the kutcha, swerving like a mad bull, kicking up dust. Hasimara had a jungle on the southern side, after the mandatory clearing beside the runway. I am now approaching the jungle, as also the end of the mandatory clearing; the aircraft is pointing 30 degrees to the left of runway direction. Providence plays its part; I am worried about the DSC guard, or the possibility of hitting tree trunks head-on in the forest, if the aircraft swerved further to the left. All my thoughts are interrupted....
Suddenly I enter a ball of mud and the aircraft comes to a sudden halt, nearly 60 degrees away from the runway direction, and I am engulfed in a thick coating of mud. I quickly unstrap and jump out of the aircraft and move away to get out of the ball of mud, and away from the aircraft. The aircraft had minimal fuel and so the risk of fire was minimal.
I see my CO jump out of a vehicle and see his over 6 feet frame come leaping towards me with sheer joy, and relief, on his face. The DSC guard is relieved, with his rifle now resting on the ground. We move away, as the crash crew come in to douse the aircraft with foam to prevent any chance of a fire. Some sights of that day stay etched in memory forever; sights with emotions attached; whether, joy, fear, anxiety, certain death, relief, etc.
There was cable laying work going on at the edge of the mandatory cleared area, just short of the first line of trees in the forest. The digging had been done and the mud was piled up towards the runway in a heap that was about 2 -3 feet deep, as well as high. This had acted as the arrester, my nose wheel had ploughed into it; the left drop tank had taken the bulk of the un-designed beating from the ground and had in the process also assisted in slowing down the aircraft. The ball of mud was my nose wheel's doing; the distance that I had to jump from the cockpit was also reduced due to the mud mound.
All is well that ends well. A Court of Inquiry was ordered. Nothing could be conclusively established. A freak electrical malfunction was found to be the probable cause. The aircraft was checked out thoroughly and brought back on line, as it had suffered minimal damage.
We were too young to give it a second thought and continued to do what we loved best, fly.
Comments