New Delhi. 15 August 2023. Wing Commander Shiv Kumar Chauhan (28472) Flying (Pilot) is posted to transport aircraft base as a Chief Flying Instructor. On 01 Dec 22, Wing Commander SK Chauhan was detailed to fly instructional sortie on a transport aircraft with a trainee pilot for a training cross country from the base to another airfield & back by night. In the outbound leg while the landing gear was lowered for landing at destination, only the nose landing gear reflected safe indications while main landing gear indications remained unsafe.
He initiated emergency actions and on return to the home base, he requested for visual check of landing gears by the ATC. Having confirmed the unsafe indications, he operated the emergency system to lower the landing gears but even this attempt was unsuccessful. Under these exceptional circumstances, when both Main and Emergency system had failed to lower all three wheels, he maintained appreciable composure and continued to handle the situation professionally and courageously. He continued to fly the ac to reduce landing weight and carried out steep turns to apply positive G to lower the undercarriage. This resulted in left main landing gear getting locked down. After having flown for more than four hours with an impending emergency and exhausting all possible options, he made a valiant decision to carry out emergency landing only on left main and nose wheel while the right wheel was locked up.
A careful plan was made to mitigate all odds of flying with an inexperienced crew by night. At 0256h on 02 Dec 22, he executed landing with only left main wheel and nose wheel in down position and right wheel locked up. The aircraft veered off to the right and out of the runway. All through this, Wing Commander Chauhan maintained exceptional situational awareness and displayed exemplary piloting skill and courage to control the aircraft, followed by execution of a quick evacuation drill which led to saving all three lives onboard with negligible damage to the aircraft.
For this act of exceptional professionalism and courage, Wing Commander Shiv Kumar Chauhan is awarded Vayu Sena Medal.
