Indian Airlines Zindabad...

Ladies and Gentlemen, Namaskar and welcome to Indian Airlines flight IC 555. Please pay attention to the instructions given….

The seat belts can be fastened by pressing this buckle into the holder. There are two emergency exits - one at the back and one behind me. In case of any emergency, oxygen masks will drop in from the panel above. Since we are flying above the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, life jackets are placed below your seats.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is u r Capt. Speaking. The flight duration is 3 hrs. Have a pleasant journey and thank you for flying IA.

The time: 3:30 am
Location: Chennai International Airport, on board IC 555 to Singapore
Date : Sometime in the year 2000
All of us who have flown remember our first flight journey. Before we physically take that journey, we would have imagined a lot of things about that flight - the view, the feeling when airborne, the food frequent travelers complain about, the pretty airhostess...ok well maybe not on IA but … I can hope, can't I?

Today let me take you through my first flight. Fasten your seat belts and hold on to that chair, for the journey you are going to take will make your stomach churn and your ears pop. After waiting in eager anticipation for years, dad had managed to collect enough frequent flier miles for that much promised Singapore trip, and finally the time had come. The fact that IA had leased an old jumbo from Philippines for this route didn’t bother me one bit. That was possibly the reason for the technical issue as the flight was delayed by over 3hrs. That however, did not mean much to me as I was very simply put - excited.

After the air hostess who reminded me of my Hindi teacher from school had finished giving the instructions, the flight took off and we left Chennai. The lights of the airport and the city shone like distant flickers of light. After 10 mins, the view was dark and nothing could be seen due to the fact that we were over the Bay of Bengal. Was I worried? Not one bit.

The seat belt sign was turned off and the Capt. announced that we had leveled off at around 30,000 feet. Suddenly I felt the aircraft shudder and I clutched my seat. Turbulence, you see. There was nervous laughter all around.

Then I felt as if I was in the downward spiral of a Giant wheel where the stomach churns and this sense of weightlessness starts creeping in….Saw a couple of people some rows in front fly up and hit the ceiling. My mom's handbag too did the same trick and clobbered me on the head. Amidst the screams of panic I looked to my left and realized that luckily all of us were still wearing our seat belts.

The aircraft path was straightened and the Seatbelt signs came on. The airhostess rushed out to help the people who had fallen and rushed back to sit at her designated seat.

L&G, this is the Capt. Please remain seated and fasten your seat belts. We have hit an air pocket and further turbulence is expected.
As soon as he finished, almost as if on cue, the aircraft banked sharply to the right and we felt that awful sinking feeling as the aircraft dived. This time it was some hand baggage that did the ceiling trip. All over the aircraft we could hear screams and names of all the deities one knew existed and then some more. As the aircraft straightened again, we heard the left engine give a high pitched whine, make some strange sort of noise and die down. The Capt. again came on and announced that we would be required to wear our life jackets. All of us fumbled below the seat and managed to grab hold of the life jackets - tore open the containing packet and wore it. The air hostess announced that we should not inflate it until we hit the water.

What would happen to us? Would we end up drowning? Would we all be together in the water? What happens if there are sharks? What happens if we get separated? Damn, I am still a….

The plane went through the same familiar dive again. Would we recover from it or hit the water was the question? At last that sinking feeling stopped and we heard the left engine whining while the right one was still silent. The plane steadied and the Capt. announced – “Ladies and Gentlemen, we will be heading back to Chennai immediately. We have first aid kits on board. Request all doctors traveling with us to help administer aid.”

The aircraft actually made it back!

Believe me; the feeling of security that one gets on successfully touching the ground surpasses none other. There was a huge round of applause as soon as all the wheels of the plane touched the ground. The airport was almost like out of a Hollywood movie. Lots of fire engines, flashing lights, ambulances, etc... Of course there was a lot of press coverage. We were made to wait in the lounge while a doctor checked each one of us. All we did was check into the hotel and have a dreamless sleep for the next 4 hours.

We later learnt that it was due to the experience of the pilot [May his tribe increase!!] that a near certain crash had been avoided. The plane had hit an airpocket - which is a region of vacuum in the atmosphere in which the air-dependant aircraft engines would not work. That is why the plane dived and had lost one engine and the pilot had dumped fuel over the Bay of Bengal to avoid an engine flameout.

Facing a near certain crash and possibly a horrid death, what would be the thoughts going through one's mind? Would your life flash through like a movie reel or would you repent for all the things you left undone? Though I can't remember what exactly were the thoughts that went through my mind, I do remember holding my mother's hand in mine and comforting her. I remember telling one thing - Mom, all of us are together in this. Don't worry, we will come through.

BTW, what about our vacation? what happened to it? Well, we were back on the next Indian Scarelines...err... Indian Airlines flight at 12 am all thanks to dad's philosophy that unless we were into a flight and get rid of the fear, we would probably never fly again.

Of course, IA did a good job covering up and did not give enough info to the press. We met the Capt on our return flight and got some more details and a couple of smiles when we asked about one of the engines shutting down.

Just in case you are wondering – This is a true story starring the author who often wonders why the stock market seems scarier than that flight!
Grr..for all you doubting Thomases,

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2000/09/27/stories/04272231.htm
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2000/09/27/stories/04272232.htm
http://www.hinduonnet.com/2000/10/08/stories/0508134f.htm