Photos:
Fire in the Plane
(By General Pilot Sayed Reza Pardis)
The operations Valfajr 10 had just started. The responsibility of supporting the ground forces in Khormal and Halabcheh was given to us.
General Sattary was present at the base from the beginning of the operations. He encouraged the pilots and technical personnel to perform their missions.
In these operations General Assareh and I were assigned to perform the bombardment, so we left for the area. We managed to do two operations successfully. The third time when we set off for a special mission, loaded with 23 different bombs, the plane, due to the heavy weight of the bombs was unable to go very fast and its maneuverability had reduced and because of this it was targeted by two infrared homing missiles and caught fire. It was badly burning. We had passed the heights overlooking Halabcheh and had decided to reach the base of Sanandaj, but moment by moment the fire flames grew larger.
I had followed the instructions concerning extinguishing the fire, but it was all in vain. After passing the heights the plane began to ramble.
Meanwhile the hydraulic pipes regulating the steering system were melting and this caused the plane to turn upside down.
Assarreh immediately pressed the eject bottom and both of us were thrown out. As we landed by the help of our parachutes, fellow military men came to our help and sent us to our base in a helicopter.
On the base, Sattary was the first person who approached us. He embraced us tightly and while shedding delight tears, he said, "I thank God for returning you to me again".
The operations Valfajr 10 had just started. The responsibility of supporting the ground forces in Khormal and Halabcheh was given to us.
General Sattary was present at the base from the beginning of the operations. He encouraged the pilots and technical personnel to perform their missions.
In these operations General Assareh and I were assigned to perform the bombardment, so we left for the area. We managed to do two operations successfully. The third time when we set off for a special mission, loaded with 23 different bombs, the plane, due to the heavy weight of the bombs was unable to go very fast and its maneuverability had reduced and because of this it was targeted by two infrared homing missiles and caught fire. It was badly burning. We had passed the heights overlooking Halabcheh and had decided to reach the base of Sanandaj, but moment by moment the fire flames grew larger.
I had followed the instructions concerning extinguishing the fire, but it was all in vain. After passing the heights the plane began to ramble.
Meanwhile the hydraulic pipes regulating the steering system were melting and this caused the plane to turn upside down.
Assarreh immediately pressed the eject bottom and both of us were thrown out. As we landed by the help of our parachutes, fellow military men came to our help and sent us to our base in a helicopter.
On the base, Sattary was the first person who approached us. He embraced us tightly and while shedding delight tears, he said, "I thank God for returning you to me again".
