Human error led to 45% of IAF air crashes

[Prometheus]

New Delhi: A whopping 45 percent of IAF air crashes in the last six years have taken place due to human error.

The IAF has informed the Parliamentary Committee on Defence that it had recorded a total of 74 air mishaps between April 2004 and March 2010, of which a high of 42 percent was due to technical faults in the aircraft and a mere six percent due to bird-hit.

The figures in percentage would mean the IAF has suffered 33 crashes out of 74 due to human errors, 31 due to technical errors in the aircraft and another 4 due to bird hit. Reasons for the remaining six crashes have not been given to the Committee.

The Committee, in its latest report submitted to Parliament, noted with concern that these mishaps were taking place in the backdrop of the IAF facing a crisis due to shortage of trainer aircraft and obsolescence of simulators for its pilot trainees.

It pointed out with concern that the IAF's Hindustan Piston Trainer-32, a basic trainer aircraft, had remained grounded for over a year now following a mishap early last year and the Kiran Mk-II HJT-16 simulators were in disuse.

The committee, headed by Congress MP Satpal Maharaj, said the Defence Ministry should take all steps to acquire new trainer aircraft and upgrade the simulators "so that adequate training is provided for pilots, which would definitely result in reduction of accidents due to human failure."

The IAF has faced problems with HPT-32's engine and airframe, even as it spared all its Kiran trainers (usually used for secondary flying training) to enable rookie pilots to learn flying skills.

It also had a gap in its training syllabus due to the lack of an Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) when pilots moved on from Kiran aircraft to MiG-21 supersonic fighter jets.

After a protracted process lasting 20 years, the IAF contracted to buy 66 BAE's Hawk AJTs in 2004 and the first lot were inducted for training pilots in 2008.
45% of IAF air crashes due to human error

 

[indianarmy2020]

NEW DELHI: A whopping 45% of IAF air crashes in the last six years have taken place due to human error.

The IAF has informed the parliamentary committee on defence that it had recorded a total of 74 air mishaps between April 2004 and March 2010, of which a high of 42% was due to technical faults in the aircraft and a mere 6% due to bird-hit.

The figures in percentage would mean the IAF has suffered 33 crashes out of 74 due to human errors, 31 due to technical errors in the aircraft and another 4 due to bird hit. Reasons for the remaining six crashes have not been given to the committee.

The committee, in its latest report submitted to Parliament, noted with concern that these mishaps were taking place in the backdrop of the IAF facing a crisis due to shortage of trainer aircraft and obsolescence of simulators for its pilot trainees.

It pointed out with concern that the IAF's Hindustan Piston Trainer-32, a basic trainer aircraft, had remained grounded for over a year now following a mishap early last year and the Kiran Mk-II HJT-16 simulators were in disuse.

The committee, headed by Congress MP Satpal Maharaj, said the Defence Ministry should take all steps to acquire new trainer aircraft and upgrade the simulators "so that adequate training is provided for pilots, which would definitely result in reduction of accidents due to human failure."

The IAF has faced problems with HPT-32's engine and airframe, even as it spared all its Kiran trainers (usually used for secondary flying training) to enable rookie pilots to learn flying skills.

It also had a gap in its training syllabus due to the lack of an Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) when pilots moved on from Kiran aircraft to MiG-21 supersonic fighter jets.

After a protracted process lasting 20 years, the IAF contracted to buy 66 BAE's Hawk AJTs in 2004 and the first lot were inducted for training pilots in 2008.

45% of IAF air crashes due to human error - India - The Times of India

 

[rubyjackass]

Political reports always blame it on pilots. I won't take anything from this. The conflict of interest is too glaring.

 

[karan.1970]

Political reports always blame it on pilots. I won't take anything from this. The conflict of interest is too glaring.

The way I look at it.. Machine failure or pilot failure, its the administration's responsibility. In the 1st case on the maintenance front and in the 2nd on the training...

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

bad pilots and bad training i guess?
send them to risalpur PAF air academy.
Jokin

 

[Kinetic]

Thats not good news. I don't know whether is political or anything else but IAF pilots are one of the best in the world, its proved through many exercises with other countries. They took 22 years to take decision on Hawk AJT, how many years they will take for IJT? that is the question.

 

[P4Pakistan]

Thats not good news. I don't know whether is political or anything else but IAF pilots are one of the best in the world, its proved through many exercises with other countries. They took 22 years to take decision on Hawk AJT, how many years they will take for IJT? that is the question.

that's call corruption

 

[Hulk]

I do not agree with this, if pilot error let to 45% crash why was only Mig 21 crashed most times.

 

[PEACEMAKER2010]

its not pilot error its poltical error stupid politicians cant buy a decent trainer idiots and you blame on the brave pilots

 

[PEACEMAKER2010]

bad pilots and bad training i guess?
send them to risalpur PAF air academy.
Jokin

dude the only thing isz you got trainers and our poltical baboons cant come to a bloody desicion when it is time to buy trainers . indian or pakistani a soilder isz a soilder dam bloody politicans

 

[Creder]

74 crashes in 6 six years ? is that normal.. im serious i have no idea whats a normal crash rate for an AF ?

 

[faithfulguy]

74 crashes in 6 six years ? is that normal.. im serious i have no idea whats a normal crash rate for an AF ?

That does sound kind of high. Does any one has any information in the trend of air plane crashes for IAF from 2004-2010?

USAF is fighting two wars and I doubt if USAF lost that many planes within that time span.

 

[Creder]

i wonder how a rookie feels when they tell him to fly a Bison

 

[no_name]

^^^ There are more helicopter crashes. Are there more hazards to drive those or are they just used much more ofter for transport etc.

 

[gambit]

Gents,

Slow down on the assumptions and discard US combat experience. A flight is the only result of a successful take-off. A safe landing is ONE of TWO results from a flight. The other result is a crash, aka in USAF language a 'mishap'. Check out the reference material below...

http://www.af.mil/shared/media/epubs/AFI91-202.pdf

Take-off and landing counts are usually matching, no? So an increase in mishaps naturally mean there was an increase in flights, correct? So either the Indian Air Force is suffering a radical decline in the qualities of its pilot recruits or there is something more ominous for India's enemies: That India is trying to improve the qualities of the current crop of pilots, raise the standards for pilot recruits, and is letting natural selection work its unmerciful process. Which would you be willing to bet your national defense?