FIREMAN steps in to bring plane carrying 70 passengers safely down when air traffic controller forgets to turn up for work
By Yatish Yadav
Last updated at 11:07 AM on 2nd February 2012
A frantic pilot aboard a passenger flight was unable to contact the air traffic control tower due to bring him in to land - because the official on duty had forgotten to show up for work.
As the situation became critical, it fell to an on-duty fireman at the tiny Indian airport to race to the tower and bring the Jet Airways plane - with 70 passengers aboard - safely down.
For 40 nail-biting minutes the fireman, M Basha, took instruction over his mobile phone in how to handle the complex radio transmitters.
The pilot of the Jet Airways plane was frantically trying to establish contact with the ATC en route to Tirupati airport
At 7.40am he was able to give the 'clear to land' instruction and the aircraft touched down smoothly, with passengers completely unaware of the crisis.
The drama unfolded earlier this month at Renigunta airport in Tirupati, in the Indian province of Andhra Pradesh, when the member of staff due to start work at 7am failed to show up.
Two flights were due in - both taking off from Hyderabad. The Jet Airways ATR-72 flight was to arrive at 7.40am and a Spicejet plane, carrying 106 passengers, at 8am.
En route to Tirupati, the pilot of the Jet Airways plane frantically tried and failed to establish contact with air traffic controllers.
When ATC deputy general manager Janardhan, who was asleep at home, was alerted to the crisis, he requested that firefighter Mr Basha rush to the ATC tower.
For 40 minutes officials of the Airport Authority of India in Tamil Nadu's capital Chennai - the administrative control centre of Tirupati airport - were on the edge of their seats as Mr Basha, instructed by Mr Janardhan over the phone, handled the radio transmitters.
A communication, navigation and surveillance officer on duty, L Anil Kumar, who was conducting a routine check of the technical facilities, also pitched in to salvage the situation.
He recorded the latest meteorological report on a piece of paper and forwarded the details to the fireman.
In the meantime, Mr Basha was constantly in touch with both the flights. Around 7.40 am, he gave the 'clear to land' instruction to the first plane.
Thankfully, shortly afterwards an air traffic control officer reached the tower and took charge.
The second flight landed under the ATC officer's supervision.
Tirupati airport director RS D'Cruz said the crisis on January 9 had been reported to AAI's Chennai-based regional executive director D Devaraj and he had recommended appropriate action after conducting an inquiry.
A team of two senior officials from Chennai was dispatched to Tirupati on January 10.
All the officers concerned, including Mr Basha and Mr Kumar, were questioned.
Mr Devaraj told Mail Today: 'The ATC officer who was supposed to man the tower did not report for duty.
'During the inquiry, he claimed he simply forgot to turn up, but we did not buy his lame excuse since the matter was very serious and the lives of passengers were at stake.'
The official had reportedly given conflicting versions during the inquiry.
Initially, he is believed to have claimed that he overslept. Later, the officer said he was under the impression that he was due to work the evening shift.
Mr Devaraj categorically stated that the flight control operations should not have been handled by the fireman.
'No one doubts Basha's intention to help during a crisis. He wanted the flight to land safely. But he is untrained and must not attempt to do the ATC's job. Mere good intention is not enough in this case,' he said.
The inquiry report recommended administrative action against the ATC officer.
Tirupati airport, which caters to an average of 10 takeoffs and landings of around five airlines daily, is primarily used by visitors to the Venkateswara temple.
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