Like every incident or event or an accident there is a common thing that is not proper communicating and let me say it’s the miscommunication which is most of the time for an misunderstanding ending in unexpected result most of my stories i will count on my good luck and the prayers of my late mom she was alive and with me when i was working in Saudia Jeddah so most of the time the narrow escape is all the way from ALLAH s blessing or may be return of good deeds so to start with when i started the aircraft maintenance job there in Saudia airlines we had the operational Boeing 707 and the number of fleet started increasing to Tri-Star and airbus and Boeing 747 the Boeing 737 were also use this story is of the unique time when Saudia was operating Boeing 707 the aircraft came to hanger for a fuel leak problem and as we don’t had the place to park inside hangar the aircraft was parked in wash dock and power was removed the wash dock is the area where the aircrafts are washed for their cleanliness appearance and as required by marketing this aircraft was on a non-scheduled visit to hanger for fuel leak so it was parked there
In those days new aircraft were entering so this old boy BOEING707 was taken as a burden and less care but as it was operative we had to maintain as serviceable the supervisor use to give the odd jobs to whom they wanted to give some tough times so coming back to story arrival of this aircraft was for fuel leak repair at left wing so the aircraft was handled by sheet metal crew for fuel leak repair and when the job was completed by sheet metal the fuel repair we had to put aircraft back to service the papers of sign out were completed and inspectors stamped it for ok to close panels let me tell you the four steps of jobs were like this
1. The fuel tank access panel opens up as per the requirement of the job as the number indicated on the paper diagram …..signed on by a mechanic
2. Repair requires nonroutine card write-up and Completion. of job sign-off by a mechanic
3 inspected the area by the inspector and stamped the last steps. for ok to close all open-up panels
4. panels close up and signature for putting back aircraft as normal serviceable
so the complete paper was given to me to sign off till step 3 had to do a close-up so one of my supervisors told me to go and close the panels and handed the paperwork to me to sign it off after I close the panels
As the aircraft was parked in almost dark and no power was on aircraft as well it was a little dark the lights are open if the aircraft required wash but as the aircraft was there in for fuel leak repair which was also completed so very few lights were on any way I went to the aircraft and start closing the panels on the wings as I started close up from the outboard of number one engine and look inside by putting my head in the cavity actually this is the panel used for entry in tank the fuel leak repair the person had to enter for applying sealant or whatever require as the case may be so I just put my head in that cavity to checkup if anything remains as any rag or for the people left sometime the sponge etc. etc. before close-up the panel was in my hand i close on and just heard something like metal touch or strange voice in the far near wing root i just got scared but to keep myself a strong feeling you know it was almost dark night shift 02 AM may be the time dark enough to scare you all the haunted stories start striking my head in a
But in a funny way shouted and like announcement made at airport final call final call is anybody in side ;last chance and I will close the final panel it was just a funny way but you know to my surprise of million ton on me I am here there came a voice far away in ward of wing root and i was on left wing tip almost hay buddy wait I was frozen like a stone for a moment as that voice was of my friend David a British guy the sheet metal crew supervisor and you know he was there luckily i just didn’t close the panels sooner he came out I was shocked as there was no information that somebody is still in side wings all the papers were evident when I settled and inquired this poor guy went inside for final checkup of the job done by his crew he had one mechanic who was supposed to be standing near him outside the wing tip panel of entrance but by the time i came there nobody was there he was not there and he return after some time telling us he went to washroom the he sheet metal supervisor my friend David was also very angry but ALHAMDULILLAH ALLAH save me again from another incidence yes i will call it my good luck that as of my funny bone I made the final call as my supervisor bob was knowing that job is completed but in confidence the sheet metal guy sign the papers so inspector also inspected the repair and stamped out then the number 4 step finally the poor guy Abbasi was going to close the panels see if i just don’t made an voice is ANYBODY IN THERE things would have been different now after all so many years when i memorize that event the face of DAVID come in my front and say so Abbas you were making a metal grave for me in fact all the equipment were removed and the guy who was supposed to be sitting for watch just got an nature call should have not gone without informing anybody but
life is like that small care and no care counts especially when we are packing the job must be very careful and guys if you are closing any close doors or panels or any normal open up of any place
just say HI to ANYBODY THERE remember THESE GOLDEN words MAY save somebody who is still there and has no information outside world, yes it’s a good practice who knows
TIME COMES AND GOES BUT THERE WERE AND THERE ARE SO STRANGE THINGS THAT HAD HAPPENED THAT WHEN I TRY TO REMEMBER THE FEELINGS OF THAT TIME WHEN THAT PARTICULAR EVENT OCCURRED TO ME I MYSELF GET IN DOUBT WAS IT REAL OR WAS IT AN ILLUSION?? BUT AS I HAVE THE PROOF OF THAT PARTICULAR TIME I PROUDLY CAN TELL THE TRUTH WITHOUT ANY PLUS-MINUS BUT AS I ADMIT I AM NOT A GOOD WRITER SO THE TRUE STORY SOMETIMES SOUNDS LIKE A FAKE ONE ANYWAY READ THIS STORY OR LISTEN AND JUDGE FOR YOURSELF WHAT STRANGE THINGS HAD HAPPENED TO SHUJAT ALI ABBASI
This is the story of my early days in SAUDIA when i was hired as mechanic 1 in SPECIAL FLIGHT SERVICES of Saudi Arabian Airlines
It was the year 1980 I was stable in my job as the senior mechanic Mr. Dick Pearson had taken my class so well that everybody was surprised at my progress and i was going very well in the aircraft G2 MAINTENANCE for some people and for some I became intolerable and that was the main reason I took a transfer to the big hanger of tristar of the MAJOR BASE but AS I WILL only emphasize on this story as there are many to tell and life is short
But it requires more explanation I will concentrate on this present story
You know I was new in that group of people so I was very obedient and accepting of their needs this story is a story of strange and unbelievable things which happened that one night yes that night was the best of all my aviation engineering career and technical life the night was the night I wish I see again but time flies off and memories of the events put me in a such condition not understandable by anyone but only myself
I was a rolling stone being the junior but that night made me the star of unexpected and unbelievable history now
It was midnight on 31 Dec 1980 and the new year of 1981 was going to start
My duty started at 2200 of 31 dec 1980 and had to finish 01 jan 1981 my friends & the general foreman my immediate supervisor who were around me working with me told that hai ABBAS Tonight IS a very important night as we are assigning you as the night supervisor only for tonight we will see how you handle the things as few of us will just enjoy the happy new year and you are the boss tonight well I was astonished but there was no other way too but nobody told me that it’s going to be the heaviest and very responsible as well as remarkable night involvement wise unbelievable aircraft arrival and departure took place as there was a big conference ( The third Islamic Summit Conference) which was held at Taif (Saudi Arabia) and lot of VVIP movement was expected through SPECIAL FLIGHT SERVICES which comprised of our fleet of grumens G2 aircrafts AND THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED I was involved fully in receiving get the aircraft refueled and departure as well In total I handle more than 10 sorties of G2 arrival and departure from and to different countries and was very remarkable for me to serve crew of different nationalities as you all know that when the crew get some ground time they also wish to talk with the ground crew as well so it was a pleasant atmosphere and a night which will be remembered and that everything was very smoothly done The remarkable thing happened when a senior pilot of another country politely tried to correct the work by pointing the column for maintenance signature hold my hand and stopping me from signing on the log book and try to correct it by describing the columns for date written and column for maintenance ( work performed or remarks) signature he thought may be I am not aware and that
I don’t know anything as he never saw me so active like that night that never had the chance to release the log book before (you know many pilots or flight engineer have some kind of supremacy ((supermissy)) feeling on ground crew ) and may be my face was new for him and with a commanding tone he start telling me that this column of the log book is for date and this column is for maintenance mechanic number and for the signature and I was making continuous mistakes I looked at him and told sir today is 01 jan 1981 and i am writing that correct date then he said why then you are writing 1181 again and i had to explain sir this is my mechanic number too that was M1181 GIVEN BY SAUDI AUTHORITIES AS I WAS CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND TO MY SECOND SURPRISE HE SAID CAN YOU SIGN ONE MORE FOR me on MY personal LOG BOOK AND i did it it was like this 1.1.81/M1181 HE ALSO SHOOK MY shoulder and SHOOK HAND AND SMILED he folded that another paper which he kept in his bag and said THIS IS YOUR goodluck number well that night i became famous as every refueling slip and all the documents related to aircraft work was M1181 IN DOZEN OF SHEETS also REFUELING SHEETS record for refueling service providers in the morning they congratulated me for the successful night operation which was performed under my command …yes almost alone with some cleaner helper the other AIRCRAFT CERTIFIED maintenance crew were on a new year private gathering in their residential compound of saudia airline name known as SAUDIA CITY (KHALIDIYA JEDDAH) so i should not bring this funny comparison but it was something like HOME ALONE(HANGAR ALONE) but there a single boy was facing strangers and handling accordingly and here ….i was
handling incoming GRUMMAN GULFSTREAM G2 and G3 or CESSNA CITATION aircrafts sortie PROVIDING all kinds of ground support like refueling inspecting the required items and also marshaling coordination of commissary service (this kind of operation the first and in my life was an overexposure of my abilities (AN ADVERSE FEELING WAS AROUSE its true when you go up you expose your*** for more ******** as the news was spread in my circle that for Taif Islamic summit conference night ABBASI .. M1181 TOOK THE ,,,,,,,,,, WELL FIX ANY VERB OR ADJECTIVE IN THIS SPACE as i always write and say life goes on nobody remember the good things performed and praised for but people don’t forget the things as well which are adverse … ( ISLAMIC SUMMIT CONFERENCE OF 1981) can be checked through GOOGLE search FOR LOCATION and date accomplish 01 JAN 1981 (1-1-81)and my sign off MAINTENANCE NUMBER WAS M1181 .
. DO you believe in NUMBER GAME THEN WHY THE M1181 JUST GOT FAMOUS ON 1-1-81 ANY IDEA
Story of M1181
It was a remarkable day on January 01 / 1981 .