IAF takes up bird-hit threat to aircraft with Police Dept

Nitish Sharma

Tribune News Service

Ambala, July 10

Concerned about the safety and security of its aircraft from bird-hit, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has raised the matter with the Police Department and has sought action against unknown persons in close vicinity of airfield who are engaged in unsafe action.

The case has been lodged under Sections 308, 186, 289, 427 and 336 of the IPC at Baldev Nagar police station on the complaint of Chief Administrative Officer Group Captain Ashish Kumar.

The official in his complaint has stated that it is intimated that an aircraft incident took place at this base on June 27 around 8 am due to a bird-hit in the vicinity of the Baldev Nagar area closed to the boundary wall of the Air Force Station, Ambala. Unsafe action by unknown persons in close vicinity of airfield has been observed, which may result in unsafe conduct of operations leading to accidents causing loss of life of Air Force personnel or civilian personnel amounting to culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Recently, an IAF’s Jaguar fighter jet was forced to make an emergency landing following a bird-hit. As one of the two engines got stalled, the pilot landed back safely after jettisoning two additional fuel drop tanks and Carrier Bomb Light Stores pods at the Ambala airbase.

Air Force officials had recently raised the matter with the local administration too informing that some locals had been breeding birds in their houses near the airbase, which were posing a threat to fighter jets.

Meanwhile, Ambala MC Joint Commissioner Satinder Siwach said: “Air Force officials have raised the concern about birds and presence of houses within 100-metre radius of the Air Force Station. Residents will be asked to not to carry out any activity attracting birds. A five-member committee will be constituted by the district administration, a survey will be conducted regarding the illegal houses constructed and further action will be taken accordingly.”

SP Abhishek Jorwal said: “The SHO has been directed to carry out an inspection. As per the Air Force Act, there must be no slaughterhouse, bird keeping or any garbage collection that attracts birds in the 100-metre radius of the Air Force Station. Appropriate action will be taken in this matter. We will also write to the Municipal Corporation to ensure that no garbage dumping is being done near the Air Force Station.”