Sitting in my room at Pune
I was sitting in my room at Pune, I pick up the phone and press 0, on the other side a lady picks up the phone and says “Hello Captain, How can I Help You”, I ask her to send me a glass of fresh sweet lime juice and if she could ask someone to collect my laundry, she agrees and I put the phone down.
I get up to unbutton my shirt, and remove the epaulettes as well as wing hooked on to my shirt, I hold the wing in my hand put the shirt on the bed and have a better look at the wing, I put it on my palm, and really wonder if I would have been able to breathe this very moment, if the sequence of events that went on at our arrival into Pune would have continued.
I go back into the flight for our arrival into Pune from Delhi, Pune Atc informed us “Popular Air 143 you are cleared for Vor/Dme 28 Approach, report Runway visual” I acknowledged the instructions repeating the same as “ Cleared for Rwy 28 Vor/Dme approach, Wilco” we were at 3800 feets, and were cleared for an approach, a clearance given to an Aircraft to proceed on a specified Track (Direction), Descend as per the profile (In short it is a clearance given to an Aircraft to follow the procedure which is mentioned on the charts for the Arrival Airfield), My Captain asked me to select Flaps 5 (Extension of Aerofoil on wings assisting Aircraft to reduce the speed), and further reduce speed, (Since my Captain was the flying pilot on this route, I was just following his commands and assisting him as per his requests and was responsible for Radio contact with the Air traffic Control). “Gear Down Flaps 15” Captain Friday ordered and I replied “Gear Down Speed is checked Flaps 15” while lowering the wheels for landing as well as extending our flaps further enabling us reduce our speed.
“Flaps 30, Give me Landing Checklist now” Captain Friday ordered, I announced “Speed Checked Flaps 30” while reading the Landing checklist to my Captain, at the same time visually verifying every point of the checklist. Once the checklist was through “Inform ATC, we have it visual” announced Friday, I started Eagerly looking out at our 12’0 clock position and as soon as I spotted the Runway I said “I have it visual too” and pressed mike to inform Atc “Pune Popular Air 143, we have the Runway 28 visual, 8 miles in”.
Pune replied “Popular Air 143, Pune change over to tower frequency 122.3 bye” “Contact tower 122.3, bye” I replied, while changing the frequency on Communications panel, I spoke to Pune Tower “Pune Tower Popular Air 143, Visual Rwy 28 7 miles” “Cleared to land Runway 28 Winds Calm” Prompt came the reply from Pune Tower. Friday announced “I got it, I’m gonna go manual now” and suddenly two loud warning sound came informing us of the disconnection of the Autopilot, Capt Friday was hand flying the Airplane and after setting the required values of Heading and Altitudes to be flown in case of a discontinued landing, I started to read the values mentioned on the Arrival charts, giving us values of Height and distance from the Runway.
We were slightly high on the approach (Aircraft was little higher than it should have been at checkpoints, and the same was being communicated to my Captain at the Alt/Ht crosschecked waypoints), “Capt We are 200 feet high” I said, “Checked” replied Friday. Finally at the last Height and Distance waypoint available on the Charts I could derive we were 150 feet high against the expected height and approx 16 kms faster than our expected speed, but since this part of the approach is mainly hand flown, such deviations are normal and does not require any unusual callout or action required from the Monitoring pilot, other than a standard callout reminding the Flying pilot to monitor his Aircraft speed which was given as “Capt check Speed” we continued the approach.
Suddenly we reached the Runway 100 feet over and above the expected height and a speed approx 15 kms above required for the phase of the flight.
We were suppose to Touchdown at approx 2000 feet of the beginning of the Runway, instead we kept flying till almost 3500 feet at the beginning of the Runway (Total Runway length is approx 8000 feet long), thanks to being high and fast. Further credit should go to the Runway surface, as due to large Air Force Fighters mainly the traffic flowing in and out of the busy Pune Airfield, the Local authority has not been worried about maintaining the Runway surface, and thanks to the large deposits of Rubbers on the Runway surface, the Braking effectiveness reduces immensely.
As soon as we touchdown around 3500 feet from the beginning of the Runway, the Aircraft didn’t seem to be in a mood to stop, I announced my standard callouts of “Speed brakes up, Reversers Green”, but I could see the surface beneath us flying at exactly the same speed as we left while we touched on the Runway. Seeing the End of the runway, which was barely 2000 feet beyond us now, Capt Friday Announced “It Won’t Stop It Won’t Stop” and I could see him leaving controls in a haste as if he is trying to show that he has given up, that is when I realized it was beyond him, and I at the loudest of my voice announced “I got her,
I have controls, I have brakes” and to the Maximum of my ability applied brakes to the maximum, while holding the control column fully backwards to increase the drag caused by the movement of Elevator in upward position. For a few seconds it seemed there was no change, and no change in the speed could be felt, but after approx 3 seconds, the aircraft began to shake vibrantly and the jamming of the wheels causing violent vibrations could be felt, speed slowed, but the end of the Runway was more clearer than I have ever seen n my life, the remaining Runway was less than 1000 feet away, I slammed further on to the brakes, as if this was the last 200 feet left for us to either stop or crash at the end of the Runway, and a miracle happened the aircraft stopped approx 500 feet short of the Runway, vibrating violently on the wheels, that probably is the strongest vibrations that I have ever felt in a plane either as a passenger or a flight crew. Friday could not believe himself and in a sense of excitement looked at me and said “We did it, oh my God, great Job”.
We had to do a maneuver of 180 degrees turn at the end of the Runway as we had already missed our exit point to vacate the Runway, to return to the parking stand to disembark passengers. While Capt Friday started to taxi the plane I could feel my legs Trembling, and were so distinctly visible that led Capt Friday to comment “Great Job Son”, all I could say was “It’s nothing Sir”.
Aircraft is parked at the gate and I am asked to do the Shutdown checklist, followed by Aircraft Secure checklist. After all the procedural action was done, I tried to get up once Capt Friday leaves the Cockpit, but I could still feel the pain in my left leg, maybe it was due to sudden application of full strength on the pedal pressure, as far as I can remember I applied all the strength I ever had in those few seconds.
I finally caught hold of my seat and try to get up to exit the Aircraft, watching the passengers getting out of the plane hopefully and blissfully unaware of what could have been the memories of our last flight together. “Knock Knock Sir Laundry Service May I Come in” comes the sound from the Door, disturbing me from the memory chain.
As soon as I opened the door to allow the Laundry Service person to enter, I ask him to wait as I enter the washroom to give him my laundry changing into a relaxed shorts and a t-shirt.
Few minutes later the person leaves with the laundry, and I come back to sit on the chair.
“Tring Tring” the phone rings, I get up to receive the call, thinking of it as a call from the reception of the delivery of my ordered juice, “Son, this is Capt Friday here, how are you” “I am Fine sir”, I reply, “Son can I ask you a favor please”, “Please Go ahead sir” prompt comes my reply, “Will it be ok if you can keep whatever happened just with you, You know I don’t want people to know about all this, I will really appreciate this, and I want to thank you for your help”.
I replied “I will be very happy to keep it with me Sir, don’t worry and It is my duty to do so” I happily respond. “God Bless you, and I want to thank you for your help once again, take care and I will see you tomorrow morning bye” “Thank you sir, and I will see you tomorrow as well, bye” I said before putting the phone down.