Windjammer
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It's somewhat ironic that despite having some of the advanced equipment, how many times aircraft belonging to the Indian armed forces have strayed into Pakistan. Air violations by both countries air forces to check each others reaction and response is not unheard of but on occasions both fix and rotary wing aircraft of the Indian army and air force have strayed into Pakistan in resulting often forced to land and sometimes getting hit by ground fire. Here's a story and aftermath of one such incident when during the 2002 hostilities, a transport aircraft belonging to the IAF strays into Pakistan airspace and is hit by ground fire.
The AN-32 Incident of air violation.
New Delhi, 22 March 2002
On 19th February an AN 32 flown by Air Marshal Vinod K Bhatia, to inaugurate the extended Kargil airfield, crossed the LOC for some 11 minutes and was hit by an ANZA missile fired by the Pakistanis. The aircraft lost one engine but successfully landed at Leh airfield on the other engine.
Air Marshal M S Sekhon (who has since resigned) carried out a Board of Inquiry into this incident and media reports say that both former Air Chiefs S K Kaul and Sareen have dubbed it a minor incident. On the other hand IDC believes that an aircraft flying 12 Km away from its path, that too over enemy territory, when both sides are in a mobilised state cannot be brushed off as a minor matter.
Air Marshal V K Bhatia reportedly said that he was only the co-pilot and put the blame squarely on the Navigator and the Pilot a Wing Commander.
The sacking of Sekhon has had a fallout on the court of inquiry that he had been asked to conduct by Krishnaswamy before the Badal letter was made public. Sekhon was probing a February 19 incident in which an AN-32 transporter plane piloted by Bhatia had crossed the loc after being hit by a Pakistani missile while trying to land in Kargil. While Bhatia was piloting the aircraft, Flt-Lieutenant V. Awasthy was navigating it. Wing Commander S.C. Chafekar was the co-pilot. It seems that while making a landing approach towards Kargil airport Bhatia flew too close to the loc and was hit by a Pakistani missile. In order to steady the aircraft and gain height, Bhatia went across the loc over the Batalik sector. He was subsequently able to land at Leh airport. With both India and Pakistan involved in a military stand-off, the consequences would have been disastrous had the plane got downed in "enemy territory".
In the inquiry report submitted to Air Headquarters on March 8, Sekhon has confirmed that Bhatia had indeed crossed the loc and been hit by a Pakistani missile. In his defence, Bhatia has raised objections on the inquiry being conducted by an air officer junior to him in service. Bhatia has also pointed out that it was the duty of Awasthy and Chafekar to inform him that he was not going in the direction of the Kargil airport but the loc. Army chief General S. Padmanabhan personally checked the facts at Kargil later. The army confirmed that the aircraft was hit by an enemy missile and not by "friendly fire."
http://archives.digitaltoday.in/indiatoday/20020401/defence.html
The AN-32 Incident of air violation.
New Delhi, 22 March 2002
On 19th February an AN 32 flown by Air Marshal Vinod K Bhatia, to inaugurate the extended Kargil airfield, crossed the LOC for some 11 minutes and was hit by an ANZA missile fired by the Pakistanis. The aircraft lost one engine but successfully landed at Leh airfield on the other engine.
Air Marshal M S Sekhon (who has since resigned) carried out a Board of Inquiry into this incident and media reports say that both former Air Chiefs S K Kaul and Sareen have dubbed it a minor incident. On the other hand IDC believes that an aircraft flying 12 Km away from its path, that too over enemy territory, when both sides are in a mobilised state cannot be brushed off as a minor matter.
Air Marshal V K Bhatia reportedly said that he was only the co-pilot and put the blame squarely on the Navigator and the Pilot a Wing Commander.
The sacking of Sekhon has had a fallout on the court of inquiry that he had been asked to conduct by Krishnaswamy before the Badal letter was made public. Sekhon was probing a February 19 incident in which an AN-32 transporter plane piloted by Bhatia had crossed the loc after being hit by a Pakistani missile while trying to land in Kargil. While Bhatia was piloting the aircraft, Flt-Lieutenant V. Awasthy was navigating it. Wing Commander S.C. Chafekar was the co-pilot. It seems that while making a landing approach towards Kargil airport Bhatia flew too close to the loc and was hit by a Pakistani missile. In order to steady the aircraft and gain height, Bhatia went across the loc over the Batalik sector. He was subsequently able to land at Leh airport. With both India and Pakistan involved in a military stand-off, the consequences would have been disastrous had the plane got downed in "enemy territory".
In the inquiry report submitted to Air Headquarters on March 8, Sekhon has confirmed that Bhatia had indeed crossed the loc and been hit by a Pakistani missile. In his defence, Bhatia has raised objections on the inquiry being conducted by an air officer junior to him in service. Bhatia has also pointed out that it was the duty of Awasthy and Chafekar to inform him that he was not going in the direction of the Kargil airport but the loc. Army chief General S. Padmanabhan personally checked the facts at Kargil later. The army confirmed that the aircraft was hit by an enemy missile and not by "friendly fire."
http://archives.digitaltoday.in/indiatoday/20020401/defence.html
