Airliners-India.com

PlaneObsessed · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 58 Location: SEA

I guess this is not a Trip report like the other great ones I read on here and at airliners.net.

But I thought I'd share with you guys anyways.

Since this is all recalling from memory, I apologize that I have no regs or photographs.

NRT-DEL
Japan Airlines perhaps
747 Classic maybe
winter in late seventies or early eighties

I remember sitting at the port side window seat (after fighting for it with my dad) but dozing off only moments later. Waking up several hours into the flight amidst a total chaos. Luggage flying everywhere, people crowded in the aisles pushing and shoving each other, babies crying, people shouting at eachother. It seemed the only people actually seated in the entire airplane were my mother right next to me with my younger brother in her lap (Just like they showed on the sefty video - incase of emergency landing). My father who had ended up sitting across the isle in this 2-5-2 config. wasn't there. I looked arround frantically and couldnt see him anywhere in the total chaos.

There were rushed announcements being made in every other language but English over the PA system. Cabin lights didn't appear to be working properly as there was very little light compared to when we first took off.

From the looks on people's faces, things looked grim.

I was horrified. I got up on the seat to look around for my father. Still no where to be found. I asked my mom if she knew what had happened to him. She seemed way too calm as she told me he had went to the lav. I got up once again despite my mom yelling and forcing me to sit back down and wear my seat belt. I looked back the lavs and finally found my dad just standing there in the corner sipping on a 7up. Of all the things he is just standing there like there is nothing wrong. He saw me standing on the seat and signalled me to sit back down and fasten my belt. That was strange.

Anyways I sat back down, got my belt back on and started looking at the safety card. Apparently a major malfunction had occured since there were no oxygen masks like in the pictures. Nor was the fancy rope lighting on the floor on.

Suddenly the plane shook and the screeming got louder. The remaining cabin lights flickered. More announcements were made (none again seemed to be in english that I could understand).

I looked outside through the window and couldnt see anything accept the strobe light flashes. We were obviously going down into the sea.

Seconds later, the cabin lights were on. Flight attendents appeared out of nowhere directing people to return to their seats. The flight attendents clearly meant business as they were yelling on top of their lungs.

Slowly the aisles were cleared and people were back in their seats (most of them). My dad returned to his seat and was clearly furious at the passengers blocking the aisles preventing him from returning to his seat.

The cabin seemed to be calm now. I still had no idea what really was going on.

Moments later the plane landed at what appeared to be an isolated airstrip, as there werent much lights around. As soon as the plane touched down, passengers jumped up once again crowding the aisles in a total chaos, luggage flying all over, babies crying... you get the picture...

The plane was still slowing down, the reverse thrust had still not run its full course. People were falling as the pilot hit the brakes to slow down the plane. A woman almost fell on my mom as the plane made a turn at the end of the runway.

Once again my parents sat there calmly as I kept wondering why in the world we werent rushing to get off this plane that may be on fire judging by how fast these people want to get off of it.

It wasnt until a good half an hour that the plane was actually at a complete stop and door open. Slowly the long que of frantic passengers got moving.

We must've waited until the entire plane was evacuated. My dad calmly got up and gathered our stuff. I was thinking why we were taking so long. Forget the stuff lets get it the heck out of this plane. But no, calmly we got up gathered ourselves as my dad said his thank you's and good bye's to EACH of the crew member and apologized for all the trouble. I was confused but as long as we were inching our way towards the door it was all good.

There was this makeshift steep stair case attached to the plane. Slowly we stepped down. As we walked away from the aircraft, I noticed smoke in the air but there was no fire as I am sure in the half an hour it took us to finally deplane they had already put it out.

It was very dark around. There was military people everywhere ushering everyone into a huge barn. Inside the barn there seemed a make-shift airport operation. Strangly no one appeared to be concerned about our health or of those who were perhaps hurt in this incident.

There was the same chaos inside the barn. Random people asking for our passports and documents etc. Heated exchanges between passengers and military officials.

Anyways eventually we got out of the other end of the barn on to a gravel parking lot where amazingly we ran into people that knew us. One of them I recognized from a picture back home quickly grabbed me and put me on his shoulder. Everyone here seemed nice. They took us by car to where we were headed and the rest was all fun...

Ofcourse it wasn't until another flight to India that I realized this was no emergency landing... it was all normal for a flight to Delhi, India. (Old Palam Airport/Barn) those days.

My dad still gives me hard time about the fact that for years as a kid I always thought I had survived an Air Emergency.

Wink

(Sorry if it was a bit boring a lengthy)

DISCLAIMER: A Majority of details in the above report maybe highly exaggerated coming purely from a childhood memory... do you remember how things used to look a lot bigger as a kid and not so big once you grew up? I remember roaming around NRT thinking how big the building was only to find it one of the smallest buildings in terms of airports now that I am not a 5 year old kid... anyways .... same logic applies... things may have seemed more dramatic as a child and first time flyer than they really were.
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Birendra · Member Joined: 15 Feb 2007 Posts: 1411

Delhi in 1982 was that bad eh Exclamation

VABBy · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 823 Location: DEL

So Passports were never stamped at that time is it???? No immigration no customs is it Very Happy

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malQ · Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 2:06 pm Post subject:

With all due respects, JAL used to operate NRT-BOM in 1982, and not NRT-DEL. In addition, what was your respected Dad doing away from his seat and in the toilet/galley/wherever when the aircraft was descending and presumably lights had been dimmed for landing.

Also, winter 1982 was when international arrivals were handled at what is now domestic arrival at DEL. While it wasn't as good as the then brand new Changi in Singapore, it was certainly better than Bangkok and as good as Paya Lebar in Singapore.

This is not a trip report. This is simply a drain inspector''s report, and that too, unfortunately rather economical with the truth. 1982 was a day and age when the Indian traveler had certainly not come into their own and it was certainly likely that the passenger demographics on international flights to and from India were skewed more towards non-Indians than Indians.

Still, this trip report proves one more truth - we as Indians will not let go an opportunity to spit on our own face given half a chance.

himmat01 · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1392 Location: DEL

I would agree with malQ. I remember back in 1982, the present domestic arrivals terminal was used for international arrivals. It certainly did not look like barn.

Aseem · Member Joined: 15 Dec 2006 Posts: 2841 Location: YYZ

The trip report seems to be a work of imagination to me. If my claim is not successfully contested, it will be moved to Non-Aviation in 24hrs.
rgds
VT-ASJ
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VABBy · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 823 Location: DEL

U r looking at a airplane journey thru an eye of a small child not a grown up adult who wud knw whether the engines were Pratt & Whitney or Rolls Royce... Hw old were u mate...
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PlaneObsessed · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 58 Location: SEA

Hey didnt I say I was recalling this purely out of memory. I guess I shouldve tried to pin point the exact time frame.

By all means the incident might have happened before "1982"

We always flew JAL so I assume that particular flight was also JAL. I always remembered flying classic 747's so I assumed this was also the case. I only remember that the operation Blue star was only a few years afterwards this first time I flew to india.

Pardon the dates and exact specific details but that is what I remembered. The seating arrangement on this particular aircraft MUST have been 2-something-2 as clearly my father was sitting across the aisle.

I asked my father and the only other airlines he recalls us flying on back in those days was Panam, British, or once CP but that he can tell was in the 80's.

Btw if the "new terminal" was operational at that time, did it not have paved parking lot? I clearly recall gravel as my newly acquired toy car from NRT kept getting stuck in gravel.

Let the bashing continue...

Lighten up guys.
_________________
"They [Terrorists] never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." - GWB

PlaneObsessed · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 58 Location: SEA

PlaneObsessed · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 58 Location: SEA

sammyk · Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 10:00 am Post subject:

If you are sure it was 2-5-2 then it could have been a DC-10.

PlaneObsessed · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 58 Location: SEA

ameya · Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 9:59 am Post subject:

With due respects to all,
It looks to me as if its a pure work of fiction.
any resemblance with the actual incident is purely coincidental.

Well Delhi or Palam, will still be one of the best airports if you operate just 20 international flights a day & stop all pvt airlines leaving just Indian to operate.

What has happened is that our infra and policies have not happened at the same time.