Seeing death at close quarters

Capt.E. Chandrasekhar, having logged 3,200 hours as an Airbus-300 Commander of Indian Airlines fleet, is perhaps the only Asian to have returned safe after withstanding one of nature's worst fury.

Recounting the frightful mid-air drama which he encountered on the night of September 25 while flying to Singapore from Chennai, Capt.Chandrasekhar says:``I was flying Eastwards at 28,000 ft when from the cockpit I could see the golden dawn breaking. But, the next five minutes, we saw death at close quarters. The aircraft turned violently and uncontrollably and in the steep free fall we lost about 7,100 ft at 126 nautical miles''.

As per the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) data ``the first fall lasted about 53 seconds, soon after about 10 seconds later, the second fall lasted about 10-20 seconds and the third was about 5 to 10 seconds. Our tryst with death was all over in less than five minutes. We did not know what exactly was the cause for the erratic downward and sideward movement of the widebodied jet".

Thanks to the aircraft engine power which broke the descent gradient and made the plane return to recovery mode to come out of the adverse weather condition which was like a funnel'', he says smilingly, narrating the once-in-a-life-time spine chilling experience.

The pilot said with absolute coordination among the cockpit crew and Chennai Air Traffic Control tower, the mission impossible was accomplished well and truly.

TSS

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