Pilot safety: award of distinction

Combat Edge, Sept, 2004 by Jayant U. Mahajan

Capt Jayant "Axle" Mahajan, the pilot of JACKPOT 44, displayed extraordinary airmanship during an incident involving simultaneous flight-control and engine malfunctions. On takeoff, sometime during gear retraction, the aircraft experienced a severe Air Data Computer (ADC) failure. With erroneous air data information going to the flight control computer and the engine, the aircraft started to oscillate violently in pitch at low altitude while the engine surged between 90-100 percent RPM after the afterburner terminated and the engine transferred to Secondary Mode. Capt Mahajan quickly analyzed the situation as the jet pitched between 10 degrees nose high and 10 degrees nose low, and assessed that the could maintain a climb as the speed increased. As the oscillations dampened with increased airspeed, he decided to stay with the aircraft. Capt Mahajan began coordinating with the Supervisor of Flying to troubleshoot the problem and reset the multiple flight control and engine system fault indications that had occurred. Capt Mahajan requested and joined up with a chase ship to help isolate the problem and confirm the jet was airworthy. Once rejoined, the chase ship verified what Capt Mahajan had suspected--that the airspeed indications in the cockpit were completely unreliable. After comparing airspeed indications, he determined that the HUD was indicating 150 knots slow and the analog round dial airspeed indicator was 210 knots slow when compared to the chase aircraft's airspeed. After assessing the aircraft to be controllable, he flew a straight-in approach with the chase aircraft providing airspeed and angle of attack indications to him over the radio, and landed the crippled aircraft uneventfully. Upon further investigation, maintenance determined that all pilot-static indications were erroneous due to a leak in the high-pressure pneumatic portion of the air data system, which fed inaccurate information to the flight controls and the engine. His decisive actions, in-depth systems knowledge, and Crew Resource Management skills during a time critical in-flight emergency resulted in the safe recovery of a $30MF-16CJ aircraft.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Capt Jayant U. Mahajan, 77th Fighter Sqdn., 20th Fighter Wing, Shaw AFB, South Carolina