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Analysis : Did IAF SU-30 Pilots Ejected in Panic !

Why is that I lose gray cells every time I open threads or posts of some members. @Windjammer we are all born with only a limited number of those cells.



You HAD to ask him that question. You REALLY want to know what he has to say about that?
This is a defence forum after all, while majority of us are mere armchair Generals but there are some professionals and experts who contribute and give opinion on these threads and pages.
One should try to participate in the subject rather than wasting space posting on rapes, toilets or other social issues.
 
Gwaliar is bustling city with over 1.2 million population.
There is no reason why Su30 pilots would have risked an attempt to take that damaged plane to the base in Gwaliar . The collision happened at a height hence the plane flew for few miniutes and fell in Rajastan.

Imagine, a hydraulic system losing fluids as the jet is flying and 6 minutes after you decide to fly it back to the base you realize the tail is non responsive. Even if you eject you won't have the ability to guide the plane to a safe crash area. If the collision is serious (like it has happened here) , When you have some control point it to a non populated area and then eject.

This is a defence forum after all, while majority of us are mere armchair Generals but there are some professionals and experts who contribute and give opinion on these threads and pages.
One should try to participate in the subject rather than wasting space posting on rapes, toilets or other social issues.

I must say I'm surprised at the depth and intelligence of your post here. You might still shine my man.
 
From the analysis of the guy, it seems the vertical stabilizer of the Su-30 sliced perpendicular to the cockpit of the mirage from under it most likely knocked out or killed the pilot flying it.

Also another question is the possibility of the Su-30 pilots ejecting first and the unguided plane colliding with the M2K? Another Su-30 crew saw the accident happening, so we will know sooner or later what really happened. Let's wait for a while and we'll know everything.
 
No you don't get it, after both aircraft collided, the Mirage crashed immediately giving pilot no time to eject, the SU-30 pilots ejected in the same area but the SU-30 aircraft continued flying for over 100 KM . If the pilot hadn't ejected , they could have saved the aircraft.
My question is if mirage has collided with Su 30 mki and mirage completely destroyed by collision how could SU 30 not had enough damaged mirage is not a very small jet like mig 21 it's middle size in air small hit can be fatal it is as su 30 would hit by a missile hit as mirage collided how the hell SU 30 Flew 100 km it's not possible if mirage completely destroyed it had damaged su 30 mki airframe in two pieces
 
My question is if mirage has collided with Su 30 mki and mirage completely destroyed by collision how could SU 30 not had enough damaged mirage is not a very small jet like mig 21 it's middle size in air small hit can be fatal it is as su 30 would hit by a missile hit as mirage collided how the hell SU 30 Flew 100 km it's not possible if mirage completely destroyed it had damaged su 30 mki airframe in two pieces

It is not the first time that a mid-air collision has resulted in the complete destruction of 1 jet while the other is somewhat less damaged.

Remembering the MiG-29's mid air collision at RIAT 1993

MiG-29-Midair.jpg


In this pic one can see the catastrophic damage one MiG-29 took, but miraculously both pilots survived!

The-Story-Of-horrific-mid-air-Collision-between-two-FA-18s-Hornet-fighter-jets.jpg

Damaged-VFC-12-FA-18.jpg


F-18 mid air collision result in this..but both aircraft were recovered since luckily neither sustained damage to the wings or the fuselage where the engine was housed.

In 1983, an Israeli F-15 landed with one entire wing missing after a mid-air collision with an A-4 Skyhawk.

The pilot actually stated that had he been able to SEE that the wing was almost completely gone, they would've ejected because no pilot would've wanted to stay on in the fighter with one wing completely gone. Only because fuel and air flow over it were obscuring their view, did the pilots try to land instead of ejecting. And it was supremely risky attempting such a thing.

1983 Negev mid air collision

What we don't know in this case is what were the kinds of warning or hazard lights that came on in the Su-30MKI cockpit after the crash. The pilots did the right thing in my opinion. Their lives are worth much more than the aircraft, which can be replaced. They can and will go on to fly other fighters. But the loss of the TACDE QFI Wing Cmdr Hanumanth Rao Sarathi is massive, given how good of an aviator he was and how highly qualified.
 
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It is not the first time that a mid-air collision has resulted in the complete destruction of 1 jet while the other is somewhat less damaged.

Remembering the MiG-29's mid air collision at RIAT 1993

MiG-29-Midair.jpg


In this pic one can see the catastrophic damage one MiG-29 took, but miraculously both pilots survived!

The-Story-Of-horrific-mid-air-Collision-between-two-FA-18s-Hornet-fighter-jets.jpg

Damaged-VFC-12-FA-18.jpg


F-18 mid air collision result in this..but both aircraft were recovered since luckily neither sustained damage to the wings or the fuselage where the engine was housed.

In 1983, an Israeli F-15 landed with one entire wing missing after a mid-air collision with an A-4 Skyhawk.

The pilot actually stated that had he been able to SEE that the wing was almost completely gone, they would've ejected because no pilot would've wanted to stay on in the fighter with one wing completely gone. Only because fuel and air flow over it were obscuring their view, did the pilots try to land instead of ejecting. And it was supremely risky attempting such a thing.

1983 Negev mid air collision

What we don't know in this case is what were the kinds of warning or hazard lights that came on in the Su-30MKI cockpit after the crash. The pilots did the right thing in my opinion. Their lives are worth much more than the aircraft, which can be replaced. They can and will go on to fly other fighters. But the loss of the TACDE QFI Wing Cmdr Hanumanth Rao Sarathi is massive, given how good of an aviator he was and how highly qualified.

Exactly. It's peacetime. You can buy a new plane to replace the damaged one. You can't compensate for the lives lost.
 
But still flying 100 KM without pilots doesn't add up. What if MAC occurred much closer to the Pakistan border and in that case Su30 would had ended up inside Pakistan and that without pilots.
 
Anyway, this report in the Print mentions that the pilots of the Su-30MKI stayed on in the fighter for a while, but due to engine fire they ejected and the Su-30MKI's debris was found near Bharatpur in Rajasthan, the neighbouring state to Madhya Pradesh's Morena where the Mirage-2000 crashed.

Safe landing is one of the most important aspects drilled into any pilot. If the pilot is not able to control the jet safely, and if the ejection is possible (earlier ejection seats weren't 0-0 which meant they had height and/or speed restrictions at which a pilot could eject) then it is always better to eject and save the pilot's life.

link

Sources said the two Sukhoi pilots managed to keep their aircraft in the air despite one of the two engines catching fire. However, they could not regain full control for a safe landing and safely ejected. The debris was found in Bharatpur.
 
Crash accidents happen everywhere, in every airforce, but again this shows the difference between PAF and IAF pilots.
When such a situation comes PAF pilots usually try to take jets away from populated areas and hence many times they get martyred having not enough time to eject and save themselves. many times it was proven and the latest major crash of an F-16 (WC Nouman) in Islamabad is a pure example of how the pilot could have saved himself easily but he did not as the jet could have collided with some residential or commercial building.
On other hand IAF pilots (usually) try to save themselves first before thinking anything else. Here both MKI pilots just tried to save their own skin only and let the jet go wherever it wanted to go. Immediate ejection is the most popular thing among IAF pilots. SU30 mki is one of the largest (if not the largest already) jets in the world and as I have read it flew a full 100 kilometers before crashing near a railway station (please correct me if I am wrong) and God forbid if was crashed on the platform or some human settlement area just think about the number of casualties.

But still flying 100 KM without pilots doesn't add up. What if MAC occurred much closer to the Pakistan border and in that case Su30 would had ended up inside Pakistan and that without pilots.
I wish it happened. But maybe sometime in the future. Indians are full of surprises. Their missiles shoot by accident and reach Pakistan and their jet also try their best to do the same.
 
100km is a lot of distance, can it be that SU 30 pilots managed the aircraft at ease first but later on it became impossible to safely land it?
 
Anyway, this report in the Print mentions that the pilots of the Su-30MKI stayed on in the fighter for a while, but due to engine fire they ejected and the Su-30MKI's debris was found near Bharatpur in Rajasthan, the neighbouring state to Madhya Pradesh's Morena where the Mirage-2000 crashed.

Safe landing is one of the most important aspects drilled into any pilot. If the pilot is not able to control the jet safely, and if the ejection is possible (earlier ejection seats weren't 0-0 which meant they had height and/or speed restrictions at which a pilot could eject) then it is always better to eject and save the pilot's life.

link
Incredible to say the least.....the Print reporting the news on the day of the crash, on one hand claim that IAF is remaining tight lipped about the incident yet they claim some defence sources had informed of the circumstances. It's no rocket science that the two SU-30 pilots were recovered just one Kilometer from the Mirage crash site so not sure how long did the pilots stayed with the SU-30 unless off course they decided to fly in circles.
Anyways, I'm sure our inhouse genius @datafreak can shed some light on this .
Pity he doesn't even knows how many Jaguar aircraft has the IAF has crashed.
 
Incredible to say the least.....the Print reporting the news on the day of the crash, on one hand claim that IAF is remaining tight lipped about the incident yet they claim some defence sources had informed of the circumstances. It's no rocket science that the two SU-30 pilots were recovered just one Kilometer from the Mirage crash site so not sure how long did the pilots stayed with the SU-30 unless off course they decided to fly in circles.
Anyways, I'm sure our inhouse genius @datafreak can shed some light on this .
Pity he doesn't even knows how many Jaguar aircraft has the IAF has crashed.

I don't understand what your confusion is?

However, they could not regain full control for a safe landing and safely ejected. The debris was found in Bharatpur.


they could not get full control so they ejected. Or you want them to keep sitting in a plane they can't control?
 
The fact that Su-30 ghost flew 100+ kms goes to show that the aircraft had the altitude and airspeed when it was abandoned, and was not spiralling down out of control. I believe the pilots would be held responsible, in some sense, in the final report, about this detail.
 
But still flying 100 KM without pilots doesn't add up. What if MAC occurred much closer to the Pakistan border and in that case Su30 would had ended up inside Pakistan and that without pilots.

If I not mistaking than there was a incident in Pakistan where J7 aircraft was crash after take off..... Pilot ejected as he thought that engine failure but once he ejected engine was started and crash later near by.

I mean to Say, life of pilot is more important than a aircraft.
 

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