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C-130 News: Another C-130J Super Hercules damaged in Ladakh; The IAF now only has 4 left


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The Indian Air Force is definitely one of a kind in the world. What makes it so unique is the varied mix of aircraft its inventory comprises of, which makes it the most diverse force in the sky. Its family members include the Russian Migs, Sukhois, the brilliant Mirage 2000s and Jaguars, and the indigenous Tejas. However, aging machinery, crashes and a painfully slow procurement process has been causing a lot of frost to accumulate on its wings lately. Back in February 2011, six C-130J tactical airlifters were procured from the United States, of which the IAF had earlier lost one during “a tactical low-level training sortie” after it crashed near Gwalior in March 2014, killing five personnel on board.

Now, another C-130J Super Hercules, being flown by Group Captain Jasveen Singh Chatrath, the commanding officer of the elite 77 Squadron (Veiled Vipers) of the IAF, has been left badly-damaged after it crashed into a pole and other structures while taxing on the tarmac in the high-altitude Thoise airfield in Ladakh on December 13th 2016.

2017-02-23 India.jpg

The Indian Air Force is definitely one of a kind in the world. What makes it so unique is the varied mix of aircraft its inventory comprises of, which makes it the most diverse force in the sky. Its family members include the Russian Migs, Sukhois, the brilliant Mirage 2000s and Jaguars, and the indigenous Tejas. However, aging machinery, crashes and a painfully slow procurement process has been causing a lot of frost to accumulate on its wings lately. Back in February 2011, six C-130J tactical airlifters were procured from the United States, of which the IAF had earlier lost one during “a tactical low-level training sortie” after it crashed near Gwalior in March 2014, killing five personnel on board.

Now, another C-130J Super Hercules, being flown by Group Captain Jasveen Singh Chatrath, the commanding officer of the elite 77 Squadron (Veiled Vipers) of the IAF, has been left badly-damaged after it crashed into a pole and other structures while taxing on the tarmac in the high-altitude Thoise airfield in Ladakh on December 13th 2016.

Group Captain Chatrath, along with his co-pilot and weapons systems operator, was on a night sortie on the C-130J which was being flown to the military airfield at Thoise, a staging area for the Siachen region, when the accident took place. The IAF, which has kept the incident under wraps till now, has refused to comment on the matter. Sources, however, said the pilots apparently failed to keep the C-130J on the “centreline of the taxiway” after landing at the airfield at an altitude of over 10,000-feet.

According to this report’s source, “They mistook another line to be the centreline (which provides obstacle clearance) at the airfield which has restricted space for manoeuvre. One of the wings and propeller of the aircraft then hit the pole and some other objects with great impact. Whether the centreline and other lines were marked properly and all other factors are being examined by the CoI.”

The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft and hods the record for the longest continuous production run of any military aircraft in history. India has ordered 13 C-130J’s, of which, 6 have been inducted, while the rest 7 have been reserved for a new squadron to be based at Panagarh in West Bengal.

Source: http://www.gizmoids.com/2017/02/another-c-130j-super-hercules-damaged-ladakh-iaf-now-4-left/


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C-130J Super Hercules finally returns to its main base

A C-130J Super Hercules aircraft of IAF, which was damaged while taxing at Thoise airbase in Ladakh, returned to its main base in Hindon, Ghaziabad. A court of inquiry is on to ascertain the cause of mishap in which one of the engines was damaged after the plane hit a post at the tarmac after landing. 

The incident took place on December 13 last year and the plane flew back to Hindon two weeks later after the IAF engineers repaired the engine.  The plane is now undergoing maintenance, sources said here on Thursday adding it had taken off from Hindon to Thoise base located at an altitude of more than 10,000 feet when the incident took place.

he plane was being flown by Group Captain Jasveen Singh Chatrath, the commander of 77 Squadron which has C-130Js, and his co-pilot and weapons systems operator.  It was learnt that Chatrath was relieved of his command pending the court of inquiry.

Asked about time taken to repair the engine, officials said given the altitude of Thoise, the team of engineers flown from Hindon had to get used to the weather there for at least three to four days before performing the given task.

The IAF had procured six C-130Js from the US in 2011 at a cost of nearly one billion dollars.  One of the aircraft crashed nearly Gwalior in 2014 killing the five personnel on board.  In August last year, the Defence Ministry gave the go-ahead for procuring one C-130J to replace the crashed aircraft.  Meanwhile, the Government has inked another deal for buying six more C-130Js for one billion dollars.

Source: http://www.dailypioneer.com/nation/c-130j-super-hercules-finally-returns-to-its-main-base.html

 

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