- When Something Goes Wrong -

The date: In the middle of Ramadhan month last year (2010)
Day: Friday
Exercise: Navigation 14 (5 hours)
Pilot In Command: Mohd Safwan (My Sifu)
Callsign: APAC 2060 (one of the best ATC compliance)

The story, begin...

My senior Safwan, he always ask me to fly with him..
Plus, I ask him to tell me when he have sortie..
He love to fly so much..
As much as I feel..
I love to fly with him..
Because he like to teach another people to be as good as him in flying..
I really mean, he's one of the best cadet I ever met..
He teach me a lot..
He never feel bored to teach..
I always go and see him when I have doubt in something about flying..
He will not stop teach until he know that you really understand what he want you to understand..
Hard to make some dumb person like me to understand on something..
But the way he teach me so well..
I can understand in a short time..
Doesn't mean I good as a learner, but he's doing a good job..

I not really remember every reporting point in this navigation..
Roughly, we have to cross a mountainous area from Kuala Krai to reach Bandar Permaisuri..
This is one of the scariest leg for me..
Because the height of the mountain is about 4000ft and above..
In case of something wrong with the aircraft and it happen during this route..
So scared to think..
Don't think about it..
If not, you will be so scared to sit in the aircraft..

After completing our inspection to the aircraft and load our thing, take our position..
He will be the "Commander" in this flight and I will be his "Commander Assistant"..
Sound great, right??
Haha..
Sometimes we want to be a bit "poyo"..

Everything done so well..
He ask me to key in the flight plan in the GPS..
As a secondary reference and as a backup in case of something happen during the flight..
Everything done, radio call, taxi and we took-off..
As usual, the scenery was great and awesome..
I enjoy it..
So far so good..

Now we overhead Kuala Krai and heading to Bandar Permaisuri..
Our altitude was 5000ft..
From far I can see the top of the mountain..
And Safwan make the radio call, request climb to 7000ft..
He advance the throttle to full..
And then..
He recognise something..
The indication of power load showing 68%..
During full power setting, it suppose to show 100%..
Now, 32% less than normal..
Then we know, we have a problem..
He try to climb at the best speed and the best rate of climb..
The highest ROC we can get is only 100-150 ft per minute..
So I advice him to call tower and tell them about our problem..
But with a calm voice he says "Don't worry man.. We try our best, get 7000ft.. After that, we call them.. Get the altitude first.. Control the aircraft first.. Take the aircraft manual from the back.. And try to find the solution"
He's cool..
I already sweating but he, as what I say, cool..
When I look at him, it make me relax..
I open the manual..
Try to find something than can help us rectify the problem..
I found nothing..
Either it is not in the manual or I'm so scared and unable to find it..

Safwan: Its ok.. Just take the note about the indication.. Maybe we can show this to the engineer when we land later.. If we manage to land at the airport.. And faiq, expect & prepare to have engine failure.. Hope we will not face that moment.. That will so worse..
Me: Its ok man.. I will lookout for force landing area every minute.. You just fly the aircraft..
Safwan: Ok.. Good then.. Our position now, approaching Bandar Permaisuri.. Means our nearest airport is at Terengganu.. So, I think we land there.. About other thing, we figure out there.. The most important thing now is to make sure to bring this aircraft and of course us safe to Terengganu..
Me: Ok.. I agree with you.. Insya Allah, everything should be fine.. Just pray to Him.. He know better..
Safwan: I heard APAC 08 Mike doing the Radio call.. Its Capt. Zeenu.. Lets call him first on company.. Maybe he can advice us..

Safwan: APAC 08 Mike from APAC 2060 on company..
Capt Zeenu: APAC 2060 from APAC 08 Mike, go ahead..
Safwan: Sir, we are maintaining 7000ft and proceeding to Bandar Permaisuri.. And we have a technical problem.. Our load showing maximum 70% when we advance power to full.. Our ROC that we can get while maintaining 70kts is about 100-150ft only.. Any advice sir..
Capt Zeenu: (Now he sound so serious) Confirm your load indication under read..
Safwan: Affirm sir.. No problem with cruising.. Only on full power..
Capt Zeenu: Ok2.. Which aerodrome is nearest to you..
Safwan: I think Terengganu is the nearest sir..
Capt Zeenu: Ok.. Track to the coastal.. Call tower.. Advice to tower with your problem.. Then request track via coastal.. If possible tack back to Kota Bharu.. If not, straight to Terengganu airfield.. Advice operation after landing.. Good Luck.. All the best..
Safwan: Roger sir.. Thanks sir..

Then he call Kota Bharu Tower..

Safwan: Kota Bharu Tower, APAC 2060..
ATC: APAC 2060, Kota Bharu Tower, go ahead..
Safwan: We are maintaining 7000ft and just want to report that we have small technical problem with our aircraft.. We still manage to fly this aircraft.. Request to track via coastal..
ATC: APAC 2060 copied.. Track via coastal.. Which aerodrome is nearest with you..
Safwan: Terengganu is near with us sir.. And our intention to Terengganu..
ATC: APAC 2060 copied.. Contact Terengganu Approach on 123.60 Good Luck..
Safwan: Copied, contact Terengganu on 123.60, APAC 2060, thank you sir, Assalamualaikum..
ATC: Waalaikumussalam..

This time, I ask him to do the Radio Call..
Let him concentrate on flying..
And I take charge on Radio Call..
Switching to Terengganu Approach..

Me: Terengganu Approach, this APAC 2060, Assalamualaikum..
ATC: APAC 2060, Terengganu Approach, go ahead..
Me: APAC 2060, release by Kota Bharu Tower.. Overhead Kuala Krai time 10, maintaining 7000ft, POB 02, endurance of 4:30 in 9M-NRE.. An be advice we have technical problem, request to track to your station via coastal for priority landing..
ATC: APAC 2060, copied and clear to enter Terengganu control zone via coastal, descent initially 5000ft, Runway 22, QNH 1010, report again abeam Bandar Permaisuri..
Me: Clear to enter Terengganu control zone via coastal, Runway 22, QNH 1010, report again abeam Bandar Permaisuri and request to maintain 7000ft initially and call again when ready for descent..
ATC: APAC 2060 copied, maintain 7000ft..

Me: Approach, APAC 2060 abeam Bandar Permaisuri this time, 7000ft, visual with coastal and we are ready for descent..
ATC: APAC 2060 copied, descent 4500ft, report again overhead Batu Rakit and request estimate Batu Rakit..
Me: Descent 4500ft, report again Batu Rakit and estimate at time 30, APAC 2060..

Several minute later...

ATC: APAC 2060 descent 2500ft call again abeam Batu Rakit..
Safwan: Descent 2500ft, call again abeam Batu Rakit, APAC 2060..

Safwan: APAC 2060, 2500ft abeam Batu Rakit and visual with the airfield..
ATC: APAC 2060, descent 1000, join right base Runway 22, report right base..
Safwan: Descent 1000ft, join right base Runway 22, report right base, APAC 2060..

And I heard Malaysian Airline and ATC conversation..
Malaysian was on final runway 04, we tracking for base runway 22..
Means, reciprocal heading..
I tell Safwan..
He acknowledge..
Just trust the ATC..
The know better about what they are doing..
Approaching right base, I can see the Boeing 737 just touchdown..

Safwan: APAC 2060 right base runway 22..
ATC: APAC 2060, surface wind light and variable, clear to land runway 22..
Safwan: Clear to land runway 22, APAC 2060..

Errkk..
I just said to you that the aircraft just landed right??
I can see the nose of the aircraft while we are on final..
Safwan stay cool..
So, I have to be cool..
It's a disaster if we have to go around in this condition..
Just approaching touchdown point, the Malaysian Boeing 737, vacate the runway..
And we touch down safely..
Alhamdulillah..
Just like what I said, the ATC know better..
We vacate the runway to the General Apron..
We call our operation Office at Kota Bharu, tell them that we land safely at Terengganu..
Now, we have to think how we going back to Kota Bharu..
If we want to stay here, we don't bring our clothes..
Then, our senior form batch 19, Ammar and Roshaizu land..
We call operation is it possible for us to have POB of 4 back to Kota Bharu..
After discussing with our Chief Instructor, he give the permission for us to go back to Kota Bharu with 4 POB..
We left the aircraft there..
The engineer from Kota Bharu will camo here and take care of it..
Ammar was the PIC..
Nice..
POB of 4 and plus all of us still cadet..
Once in a life time..
This is flying..
Always adventure..
Then we safely land at Kota Bharu..
Alhamdulillah..
Praise to Allah Taala..
He save us..
And thanks to my cool sifu..
Safwan..
He always the best..
Thanks..
My new experience..
I learn something that day..
Hope can fly again with you in the future..
Insya Allah..

Me and Safwan

From the left: Roshaizu, me, Safwan and Ammar

POB of 4