Indian Air Force Improves Poor Safety Record
AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE » APRIL 19, 2013 by NEELAM MATHEWS India’s contract with Pilatus for 75 PC-7 Mk II basic trainers is the first to include post-delivery maintenance. (Photo: Vladimir Karnozov) April 19, 2013, 12:55 PM The Indian Air Force ( IAF ) recorded its lowest accident rate in 36 years in the year ending March 31. The introduction of upgraded Western aircraft; quality audits of maintenance practices; increased use of simulators; and voluntary reporting of unsafe acts have contributed to the improved record, a senior official said at a recent media briefing. Of the five aircraft that crashed in the last 12 months, three of the losses were attributed to equipment malfunctions: a bomb fuse misfired on an Su-30; a fan blade failed in the recently overhauled engine of a MiG-27; and a MiG-21 suffered a pump failure. Human error caused the crash of a Jaguar fighter and a Chetak (Alouette III ) helic...