At times, we find ourselves in awkward situations due to no fault of ours. The following is a perfect example of that. During the last leg of my service, I was transferred to INAS 333, the squadron for training pilots and observers on Kamov-25 and Kamov-28 aircrafts. The ZHASMIN system is an ASW (Anti Submarine warfare) system fitted onboard KA25 helos. Nobody was thorough on the equipment. As the manual supplied by the Russians did not throw much light on the equipment, the only reliable document was a 200 page notebook containing notes prepared by Partner PP Unnikrishnan who was part of the team which was trained in the USSR for taking over the KA 25s. And that book was in the close custody of the BSF (Base support Facility), Goa library.I drew the book from the Library and studied the notes in the book prepared painstakingly by Partner PP Unnikrishnan. One day the aircraft went for flying and after the flight the navigator complained that the Zhasmin system is misbehaving. High with confidence I checked the system in the aircraft and found it was working fine. The next day the aircraft went for flying and the same problem….ZHASMIN misbehaving. I checked the system on ground and it was working fantastic. I decided to go with the aircraft for a check test flight to observe what happens in the flight. The next day, I also joined the Pilot and observer and went for the flying and found what the navigator told was right. The equipment was not working satisfactorily.Confused, I returned and read the book all over again. The next day, the Squadron Commander went as the navigator for flying and it came with no problems. I waited for the aircraft to come and asked the Squadron commander of the ZHASMIN system in particular and he told me, “ All fine man”. The next 7 days the aircraft came with the same defect that ZHASMIN is misbehaving. And all the 7 days I accompanied the aircrew during the sorties. Other than having some splendid view of the mountains and water falls of Goa from the top I could not find out the cause of the problem with the ZHASMIN. One Monday morning, Squadron commander called me up and said, “ VS….What’s the problem with this ZHASMIN? Why aren’t you able to sort it out?” It was embarrassing for me. But...I told him that I found the system working perfect when I checked it on the ground, but the problem was only when the aircraft was airborne. I also told him that the defect didn’t arise when the Squadron Commander went for flying. The last statement of mine kept the Squadron Commander thinking. He told me,”Chalo let’s see”. We both went to the aircraft where the Pilot and observer were preparing to fly. The squadron commander sat next to the observer who was entering the parameters like Date, Time, Heading, Position (Latitude and Longitude) etc.into the system. He keenly watched the observer and at one time got irritated and hit the observer on the back of his head and told him,”YEH KYA KAR RAHA HAI”. With a sorry look on his face the observer looked at the Squadron commander and said,”I am extremely sorry sir”. The angry Squadron commander shot back,”Don’t tell sorry to me. Tell your sorry to him. He has been on his toes for the past 10 days due to a silly mistake by you” The observer had apparently messed up while entering the Position of the aircraft into the system. He had keyed in the Latitude in place of the Longitude and vice versa. He had been doing this for the past 10 days resulting in the system misbehaving and putting me in a spin. At times, we are forced to suffer due to the negligence of others…..but I should have keenly observed while the observer was entering the parameters instead of blindly believing him. Lesson learnt: DURING ANY PROBLEM LOOK AT THE BASICS BEFORE CONCENTRATING ON THE COMPLICATED STUFF.
santosh V Santosh Kumar
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Look At Basic....A narration by Santosh

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At times, we find ourselves in awkward situations due to no fault of ours. The following is a perfect example of that.

During the last leg of my service, I was transferred to INAS 333, the squadron for training pilots and observers on Kamov-25 and Kamov-28 aircrafts.

The ZHASMIN system is an ASW (Anti Submarine warfare) system fitted onboard KA25 helos. Nobody was thorough on the equipment. As the manual supplied by the Russians did not throw much light on the equipment, the only reliable document was a 200 page notebook containing notes prepared by Partner PP Unnikrishnan who was part of the team which was trained in the USSR for taking over the KA 25s.

And that book was in the close custody of the BSF (Base support Facility), Goa library.I drew the book from the Library and studied the notes in the book prepared painstakingly by Partner PP Unnikrishnan.

One day the aircraft went for flying and after the flight the navigator complained that the Zhasmin system is misbehaving.

High with confidence I checked the system in the aircraft and found it was working fine.

The next day the aircraft went for flying and the same problem….ZHASMIN misbehaving.

I checked the system on ground and it was working fantastic.

I decided to go with the aircraft for a check test flight to observe what happens in the flight.

The next day, I also joined the Pilot and observer and went for the flying and found what the navigator told was right. The equipment was not working satisfactorily.Confused, I returned and read the book all over again.

The next day, the Squadron Commander went as the navigator for flying and it came with no problems. I waited for the aircraft to come and asked the Squadron commander of the ZHASMIN system in particular and he told me, “ All fine man”.

The next 7 days the aircraft came with the same defect that ZHASMIN is misbehaving. And all the 7 days I accompanied the aircrew during the sorties.

Other than having some splendid view of the mountains and water falls of Goa from the top I could not find out the cause of the problem with the ZHASMIN.

One Monday morning, Squadron commander called me up and said, “ VS….What’s the problem with this ZHASMIN? Why aren’t you able to sort it out?”

It was embarrassing for me. But...I told him that I found the system working perfect when I checked it on the ground, but the problem was only when the aircraft was airborne. I also told him that the defect didn’t arise when the Squadron Commander went for flying.

The last statement of mine kept the Squadron Commander thinking. He told me,”Chalo let’s see”.

We both went to the aircraft where the Pilot and observer were preparing to fly. The squadron commander sat next to the observer who was entering the parameters like Date, Time, Heading, Position (Latitude and Longitude) etc.into the system. He keenly watched the observer and at one time got irritated and hit the observer on the back of his head and told him,”YEH KYA KAR RAHA HAI”.

With a sorry look on his face the observer looked at the Squadron commander and said,”I am extremely sorry sir”.

The angry Squadron commander shot back,”Don’t tell sorry to me. Tell your sorry to him. He has been on his toes for the past 10 days due to a silly mistake by you”

The observer had apparently messed up while entering the Position of the aircraft into the system. He had keyed in the Latitude in place of the Longitude and vice versa. He had been doing this for the past 10 days resulting in the system misbehaving and putting me in a spin.

At times, we are forced to suffer due to the negligence of others…..but I should have keenly observed while the observer was entering the parameters instead of blindly believing him.

Lesson learnt: DURING ANY PROBLEM LOOK AT THE BASICS BEFORE CONCENTRATING ON THE COMPLICATED STUFF.

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