Brave pilot steers crippled
Air-India flight to safety

TalkingTarmac raises a toast to the courage and presence of mind of Captain Manav Gupta, who piloted his damaged plane with distinction

BY A CORRESPONDENT
11th January 2005
As the Air India jumbo jet approached the Los Angeles runway at landing speed, it did not have any tyres worth the name. The fuselage was dotted with holes. The flaps failed, and the hydraulic systems conked. While tension rose in the aircraft, ambulances and fire engines assembled around the runway. TV channels stopped regular programming and tuned into the runway.

The aircraft touched the ground in a shower of sparks, its wheel assembly stuck. As captain Manav Gupta brought the plane to a screeching stop, the tyres and the wheel assembly had completely gone. It was as close as close could have been.

Now, the captain who steered the crippled aircraft carrying 270 passengers is a hero. Even as the Frankfurt-bound aircraft touched its takeoff speed, the pilot felt something was wrong. But it was a wee bit late, and the plane had taken to skies. Soon, ground control noticed debris on the runway and alerted the captain. One by one, critical systems failed.

With the hydraulics malfunctioning, keeping the 350-tonner Boeing became tough. The Boeing circled over the sea dumping fuel, since landing a faulty plane full of fuel is not advisable. Now, handling a plane without hydraulics is tough, and takes more than just courage.

And courage was something which Manav Gupta was not short of that day. "While coming down, I could not even be sure that the plane had any wheels left," Gupta was quoted as telling NDTV. It was good luck matched by courage which ensured that the plane landed without casualties, and when the plane came to a stop, loud cheer went up inside the airline.

Many travellers did not know how close it was. Engineers who inspected the plane found that the aircraft was seriously damaged. Flying shards had cut into the fuselage and the wheels, rendering them useless. It could have been worse, if the fuel tank was pierced.

Manav Gupta brought the crumbling plane down in one piece, and kept all his passengers safe. Unmistakable courage and presence of mind in the face of danger. Cheers to that!