On a wing and a prayer
By Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 4 — The tragic incident in which a young IAF pilot lost his life after his MiG-21 burst into flames soon after take-off yesterday has once again focussed attention on the flight safety aspects of the venerable, though ageing fighter.

The spritzy warhorses which have ruled the skies over the sub-continent for over three decades are now flying on a wing and a prayer. Having flown past their normal service lifespan, the MiG-21s, once the most reliable fighter in the IAF's inventory, are now bogged down with maintenance problems, leading to poor serviceability and airworthiness.

An analysis of the available data shows that since 1991, about 62 per cent of aircraft accidents have involved MiG-21 variants. Of the 21 fighters lost this year (excluding those in the Kargil conflict), 12 have been MiG-21variants — almost a squadron strength — this year alone. As many as seven MiG-21 pilots, all youngsters in the rank of Flying Officer and Flight Lieutenant, were killed in these accidents.

As per available information, the number of MiG 21s, which have been the IAF's backbone for interceptor and ground attack roles, dwindled from about 355 in 1991 to about 200 in 1998. While several squadrons equipped with the earlier versions have been phased out, others have been lost in accidents or due to attrition. Of the 200 or so aircraft remaining in the ageing fleet, sources indicate that about 40 per cent are grounded.

''The MiG-21s have served us well for about 35 years and had never been accident-prone. During the the 1971 operations, hardly any maintenance had been required and the same aircraft was airborne for a sortie within half an hour after refuelling. Now they are simply too old to carry on without a glitch,'' remarked a senior air force officer.

Inducted into the IAF in 1966, most of the aircraft's components aircraft are now on extended life — clearance given locally after inspection by the maintenance staff to continue using components even if the stipulated lifespan has expired. The normal life span of an aircraft is about 25 years.

MiG-21 pilots say over a period of time, parts like the undercarriage and wing roots, which take repeated stress, as well as the airframe, develop structural weakness. These result in hairline cracks which can be confirmed with microscopic examination. Also, permanent wiring around the airframe, called ''looms'', deteriorates, and in several circumstances have resulted in short circuits, they added.

IAF officers say the majority of accidents involving technical failure are due to technical defects or human error — 44 per cent and 41 per cent respectively. About 25 per cent of the accidents attributed to human error have been a result of inexperience and inadequate training of pilots.

In fact, sources say, a few months ago, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal A.Y. Tipnis, had issued a note to IAF commands, stating poor flying skills and ineffective leadership to be the cause of air accidents. ''Aircrew have not shown standards expected in skill and airmanship,'' the note reportedly said.

In September last year, for example, a trainee pilot on his first solo ''flared out'' slightly high and ''ballooned'' while coming in to land after two overshoots. After drifting to the right, the aircraft landed off the runway and was damaged. Investigations revealed that a ''simple situation had developed into a serious one due to inexperience. The report added that supervisors must ensure that enough contingency handling practice is given to pilots before being cleared for solo sorties.

A non-fatal MiG-21 crash some time back during a dog fight exercise was attributed to incorrect tactical action leading to loss of potential and subsequent mishandling of controls at low speed. ''The defender aircraft,'' according to an informed source, ''had gone into an uncontrollable spin at 3,000 metres.'' An analysis of the accident had brought out that the importance of low speed handling in combat has to be re-emphasised and the pilot should be aware of the flying parameters of his aircraft at all times.

After an incident in August, 1997, in which a MiG-21 drifted off the runway in poor weather conditions, cartwheeled and landed on its back, investigations revealed that environmental monitoring while the mission was getting airborne and thereafter seemed to be inadequate. ''With weather turning critical, an urgency in recalling the mission at the ATC/Met officer level should have existed. The accident took place due to incorrect and unjustified post-touchdown actions taken by the pilot,'' investigation reports stated.

The casualty is not only the IAF's effective combat strength but also fighter training as MiG-21 variants are being used for operational training of newly inducted pilots.

In the absence of an Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT), the MiG-21 FL -- the oldest version — is being used for final stage training of fighter pilots at the Tezpur based operational Training Unit. From here pilots are finally routed to operational fighter squadrons, some of which operate highly sophisticated, top-of-the-line aircraft like the MiG-29 and the Mirage 2000. ''The technology gap between these aircraft and the MiG-21 is too wide for green pilots to cope up with the complexity of the systems and any emergency situations,'' a senior IAF officer said.

Air Force sources say the aircraft is, in certain flight profiles, quite difficult to handle. ''For example, the angle of descent of a MiG-21 is four degrees as compared to about 2 degrees for other aircraft. This means that the MiG-21 makes a heavier landing and at a faster speed,'' a Chandigarh-based MiG-21 pilot commented. Papers prepared by the MoD and Air Headquarters have repeatedly argued that MiG-21s are unsuitable for pilot training.

Investigations of several accidents have also revealed manufacturing defects. Two ''avoidable'' MiG-21 accidents in July and October, 1996, revealed malfunctioning of the jet nozzle, involving extensive damage to the Bevel gear pinion manufactured by HAL. Subsequent joint HAL- IAF investigations revealed serious lapses in following laid down procedures. Air Headquarters then decided to ground all MiG-21 variants fitted with R-11 engines. Engine surge and compressor blades and compressor disc failures as well as engine lubrication failure are among other design-related problems which have cropped up.

A classified report prepared last year by the Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, reportedly blamed HAL and the IAF maintenance systems for poor quality control during manufacturing and overhauling stages.

During the early 90s, non-availability of spares was another major headache for the IAF. Though things have rationalised to some extent, problems still persist. Non availability of spares also led to cannibalisation, further reducing combat strength. Despite claims of the MiG-21 being manufactured indigenously, critical parts — to the extent of 14 per cent — are still being imported. Some of the spares, bought from CIS countries thought agents, have turned out to be of a dubious quality.