'Not with a canopy at 28,000 feet': Story of the Air Force pilot's "indomitable courage"

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March 28, 2024

Flight Lieutenant Aman Singh Hans, a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force, took off with a MiG-29 twin-engine fighter jet for a long-range ferry mission for Exercise Gagan Shakti scheduled in April.


Flight Lieutenant Hans was airborne for 20 minutes when at 28,000 feet or 8.5 km from the ground, the pilot experienced a sudden blast and the Head-Up Display (HUD) and "visual reference blanking off". At 28,000 feet, the atmospheric pressure is very low, the air is thin and Oxygen levels drop drastically.


The pilot realised the fighter jet's canopy was blown off at 28,000 feet.


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Representational image of a MiG-29 operated by the Indian Air Force



The pilot, flying at very high speed, was exposed to temperatures of - 40 degrees Celsius. There were dangers of hypoxia and sickness. He quickly took control of the aircraft while flying on head-down instruments - the displays located on the cockpit panel - as opposed to HUD which projects information on the windshield. Flight Lt Aman announced an emergency using standby radio control and ensured the safety of any civil aircraft flying in the proximity. 


He descended to an altitude of 3 kilometres from 8 when the canopy blew off and landed at the nearest airbase with no radio reception and severe pain in the eyes.

January 25, 2025

Flight Lt Aman Singh Hans avoided a catastrophe. He saved the aircraft and landed safely. For displaying indomitable valour and exemplary gallantry beyond the call of duty" the Government of India has awarded him a Shaurya Chakra - the third highest peacetime gallantry award - on Republic Day this year. Flight Lieutenant Hans is among eight personnel awarded the prestigious gallantry medal on the eve of the Republic Day.


The officer was commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 2019 and since 2020, he has been flying the MiG-29.


MiG-29, NATO name 'Fulcrum' and Indian name 'Baaz', is an air superiority fighter jet originating in Soviet Russia. It was formally inducted into the Indian Air Force in 1987, initially with two squadrons - No. 28 and No. 47 Squadrons.

'Not The First Time'

There have been three known incidents including the one on March 28 last year when a MiG-29's canopy blew off mid-air.


On June 1, 2016, Squadron Leader Rijul Sharma was authorised to fly an air sortie in a MiG 29 fighter jet to test the aircraft at supersonic speeds at a height of 10 Km. While conducting the 'Supersonic Flying Corridor', he was 110 kilometres away from the air base he took off at Mach 1.1 or 1,200 km/hr, and the canopy of the aircraft shattered.


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Squadron Leader Rijul Sharma
Photo Credit: www.bharat-rakshak.com



This led to explosive decompression of the glass pieces of the canopy hitting the shoulder of the pilot. He was exposed to extremely low temperatures of minus 28 degrees Celsius and a very severe wind blast due to supersonic speed. His right shoulder was severely injured but the pilot managed to regain control of the aircraft and descended to an altitude of 3 kilometres at the same time reduced speed for effective control.


The pilot managed to land safely and avoided any catastrophe. He managed to avert any disaster since he was flying to a petrochemical factory. Squadron Leader Rijul Sharma was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry).


Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, who was a Squadron Leader in 1994, shared an incident when his MiG-29's "canopy flew off" at Mach 1.9 speed (almost two times the speed of sound).


Speaking at the launch of the book 'India's Most Fearless 3' Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari shared the incident and said, "He was conducting an air test on the MiG-29", adding that his canopy "flew off" and the time of useful consciousness in such a situation and the time left after explosive decompression at such an altitude and speed - was only six seconds."


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Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari



He was flying at an altitude of 12.3 km and Mach 1.9 speed and the outside temperature was - 53 degrees Celsius. Then a Squadron Leader in the air force, Mr Chaudhari said he had to quickly descend and "get into a foetal position to avoid wind blast." He landed back safely.


Twenty-seven years later in 2021, he took charge as the chief of the Indian Air Force.