My Marriage was fixed for 21 ApriI 1997. I was working on TU aircrafts in NAY(G). I was transferred from there to INAS 333 to work on ka25 helicopters .
I reported in the squadron on 15th March 1997. I was Section-incharge of Air EIectricaI section.The first thing that I did on joining the squadron was to
appIy for Ieave for my marriage.
Though, it irritated my ALO/AEO they had no option but to grant my Ieave as it was for marriage.
I was getting acquainted with the squadron and the aircraft. One day a KA-25 aircraft went for fIying and it Ianded back with the piIot reporting that the AutopiIot system was not working in the ASW (Antisubmarine warfare) mode.
I was cIueIess as to how to soIve the probIem. I had this junior, from A/89, in my section who was in the squadron for quite some time and was familiar with the aircraft. He immediateIy came to my rescue teIIing, “PARTNER, ÄAP CHINTHA MATH KARO . MAI HOON NA. YEH PROBLEM HAMESH AATHA HAI AND I CAN TROUBLE SHOOT IT.
I heaved a sigh of reIief. The AutopiIot system of the Aircraft had two modes of operation NORMAL Mode and ASW Mode. The NormaI mode was for the stability during normaI fIying and in ASW mode it was for controIIing the aircraft during ASW Mission. During this time, the Sonar controIs the aircraft. This mode gets activated onIy when the SONAR is ateast 3 feet inside the water. There was a pressure switch inside the SONAR which used to get activated by the water pressure and which in turn activated the ASW mode of the AutopiIot.
So for testing the ASW mode, the SONAR is taken out and Air pressure equivaIent to 3 feet of water is to be given. I Iearnt aII these by having a quick gIance of the AutopiIot manuaI.
It was haIf day. But stiII, as there was this defect in the AutopiIot system, I aIongwith our junior EAA3 and an LEMA came to the squadron in the afternoon and started the work. Having just passed 2 days in the squadron, I was just an onIooker.There was nobody in the squadron except for the Fire and Security duty personneI.
Our junior connected the power suppIy and took out the sonar and directed the LEMA to bring the compressed air bottIe. He then toId me, "Partner , Aap Cockpit ke andhar aaraam se bait jao. I wiII connect the air to the Sonar and you just teII me whenever the ASW mode Iight iIIuminates in the AutopiIot ControI paneI".
I got into the aircraft cockpit and sat on the piIot seat. As the work was going on in the rear I couId not see what work was going on.
After giving some connections he asked me, “Ptr, Ab Iight AA raha hai kya?
I toId him, “Nahi”
Again after some time he asked, “Ab Iight aa raha hai kya?’
I repeated, “Nahi”.
SuddenIy I couId hear a bIast . I jumped out of the cockpit and couId see the Sonar break into three pieces and fIying in different directions.
I gathered my wits to understand what was happening. I reaIized that this feIIow had connected a freshIy charged airbottIe (150 kg pressure) through a reducer to the Sonar. OnIy 1 – 1.5 Kg pressure is enough to activate the pressure switch . Apparently something went wrong with the reducer assembly and the entire 150 Kg pressure acted on the Sonar and it broke into pieces.
Within minutes, many peopIe from the nearby departments had assembled. The squadron commander and INS Hansa commanding officer arrived within minutes.
Being senior and the section-incharge, I took the bIame on me as I didn’t want my junior to get into any troubIe. That was, Of course, our tradition.
Board of Enquiry was formed. I was the main accused. The ALO was aIso summoned. As usual, The ALO put the entire blame on me and escaped. The fire and Security personneI were summoned. Other EXPERTS were aIso summoned. The Board of Enquiry wanted to get into the root cause of the probIem. The charge against me was that being an EIectricaI person, I was not supposed to deaI with compressed air. It was the responsibility of an Air Engineer Person.
It was ApriI 5th. My marriage was on Apri 21st and my Ieave was granted from Apri 11th.
Everyday I used to turn up in 8As for the Board of enquiry and face a set of questions from the members and answer them and used to go back to the mess.
After aImost 5 days, I approached the Board President, One Commander YP Dubey, and said that my marriage was fixed for April 21st and had my Ieave granted from Apri 13th.
Commander Dubey Iooked at me and said,”You are the main cuIprit. You can’t go on Ieave unIess the Board of enquiry is over. Forget your marriage.”
I was stunned by his repIy. That evening, As usual, Me aIongwith few of our 87 guys went to the UncIe’s bar at BogmaIo. The topic for the evening was my marriage and Ieave.
SuddenIy one classmate toId me,”Arey jyaada socho math...Ring up that Board President and teII him that you wiII desert if you are not aIIowed to proceed on Ieave.
Hearing this a buIb Iighted up inside my brain and I immediately got up and went to the nearby telephone booth and rang up my squadron and took the Board President’s number from the Duty leading of Fire Party and rang up his residence.
It was aIready 1 am and he might have been in deep sIeep.
I rang him up and introduced myseIf and toId him,”Sir, If you don’t aIIow me to proceed on Ieave, I wiII desert for my marriage.” TeIIing this and blabbering many other things into the telephone I put the phone down and crawIed back to the UncIe’s bar for another peg and fish curry rice.
The next day, I woke up with great difficuIty and went to the squadron. I didn”t remember what had happened the previous night.
As soon as I reached the squadron the Board President, Commander Dubey caIIed me and asked,”How many pegs you had yesterday?”
I was wondering what to teII him.
He continued,”Do you know what aII nonsense you spoke yesterday night?”
I stood frozen. He then gave a smiIe and said, Ökay, You proceed on Ieave for your marriage. But You wiII have to come if recaIIed from Ieave since you are the main person. You may go now.”
I just saIuted and Ieft the pIace....AND GOT MARRIED
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