Grabovoi not only helped us at work, I personally owe him my life...
It is known that many interesting facts testifying to the extraordinary abilities of Grigori Grabovoi, which he used and uses to save people and equipment of increased complexity, were found during court hearing sessions in the Tagansky Court of Moscow in 2008. The court heard the testimony of 50 witnesses and 5 experts from the defense.
This publication uses the testimony of flight safety inspector V.F. Balakirev, who told the court about his joint work with Grigori Grabovoi in 1991-94 in the Civil Aviation Administration of Uzbekistan, as well as evidence documents from Grigori Grabovoi's three-volume publication "The practice of control. The way of salvation."
For information: Vitaliy Fedorovich Balakirev - flight safety inspector, 1st class pilot, liquidator of the Chernobyl accident.
Let's imagine that Vitaly Fedorovich Balakirev was interviewed by a correspondent of some newspaper… The eyewitness's story and the facts voiced by him are important to us, and not the form of presentation of this unique material. Although it should be noted that such information, such facts approved by the court during the trial, should be accepted without evidence by all State institutions on a presumption.
C: Tell us how you met Grigori Grabovoi.
B: I was acquainted with Grigori Petrovich by Ganiy Mazitovich Rafikov, the then director of our department. It was in October 1991 in his study. I was invited as a leading flight safety check pilot in the department; and Grigori Petrovich was introduced to me as an extrasense, who helped investigating aviation accidents.
C: You worked with Grabovoi during the years of 1991 - 1994. Did you often have luck to see the extrasensory abilities of Grabovoi?
B: Several days after the acquaintance we had a meeting with the department head, where I was asked to assist Grabovoi. I had to cooperate with him in making forecasts concerning aerotechnics condition, and engine diagnosis. The thing is that an airport is a secure territory, and strangers are not admitted there. Of course, it is not allowed to take pictures there. But as an inspector I was allowed to do it, and could take Grigori Petrovich with me.
First of all, Grabovoi paid attention to large planes: Il-86, for example, which can carry 355 people, or Il-62, where 180 people can fly. Grigori Petrovich did not necessarily approach the plane close, 20-25 metres was enough for him. Or even a picture with the plane number was enough. He looked at planes, and then gave his recommendations. He specified on the condition of equipment. Then our engineers and technicians checked all described malfunctions, and drew up protocols. If it was necessary, we repaired the plane.
C: And did it often coincide?
B: It always coincided. I personally signed 39 protocols, on which Grabovoi's prognosis was hundred per cent accurate. Copies of these protocols were then included into the first volume of Grigori Petrovich's book "The Practice of Control. The Way to Salvation". The protocols were examined by a special commission - the approach was very strict.
I believe that this case is the first in the world practice. You see, we really saw that the person helped us indeed. And we engaged him not only for diagnostics, but also for the investigation of plane crashes.
I remember that in the year of 1992 a helicopter Mi-2 fell in Urcheng region. The vehicle burned completely, but the crew fortunately managed to survive. The pilots assured us, that the helicopter caught fire in the air, and during the landing it fell over and burnt. We had some uncertainty concerning their version at once, but the flight data recorder, which was not protected from fire at that time, burnt. So it was very difficult to check everything. We sent the engine for the investigation to the special repair works. Such investigation may take 2-6 months. And it is a long period of time, of course. Therefore, I turned to Grigori Petrovich again. About 3-4 days had passed since the accident. And Grabovoi said at once: the helicopter did not burn in the air. And in several months the results of the investigation were ready: really, the engine burned on the ground. Of course, this helped in the investigation.
But Grabovoi not only helped us at work, I personally ouw him that I am still alive. Once I had to fly 400 kilometers from Tashkent to Zarovshan. So I came to Grigori Petrovich and told him: "I am flying on business. What should I pay attention to?" And he replied: "Are you going to fly? So, you should check the accessory gearbox at the helicopter you will fly". And it is a very important part of control. The pilot is not obliged to check it on the instruction. At once when I arrived at Zarovshan, I asked a technician to bring the ladder. I came to the gearbox, opened it, and there was no oil in it! It turned out that some maintenance was conducted: it was emptied, and nobody filled it. Can you imagine that I had to fly 400 kilometers at the height of 1800 meters! The gearbox would be destroyed and the helicopter would fall down. All in all, Grigori Petrovich saved me from certain death.
In summer of 1993 Ganiy Rafikov called me and asked to help the colleagues from Tyumen: a helicopter disappeared in the region of deaf taiga. They heard that I worked with Grigori Petrovich, and, therefore, turned to me. The square of the supposed fall is very large - about 80 by 80 kilometers. So, I together with Grabovoi flew to that place.
Usually when the helicopter falls, it leaves a lot of traces: helicopter rotors cut the crowns of trees, and then the ground is burnt out with fire. And guys say that there are no traces, although they have been looking for two weeks.
Together with Grigori Petrovich we get into the helicopter with the pilot from Tyumen. We are flying, looking through the binoculars, and Grigori Petrovich is saying: "Here!" We flew it over on the one side, we could see no traces, and on the other side the situation repeated. And Grabovoi goes on saying: "Here". And he was right! It turned out that the helicopter rotor was destroyed in the air, and the vehicle fell headlong - so there were no traces. The ground group then found the wreckage in that region, which was pointed by Grigori Petrovich.
C: Vitaly Fyodorovich, and what devices did Grigori Petrovich take with him?
B: None, he only looked at maps, and explained that he used a mathematical method.
C: Can you tell about any other cases?
B: A helicopter K-26 fell in the region of Kokand in the summer of 1993. And a pilot fortunately survived. He began to explain us that a helicopter was nearly carried down by the wind. I turned to Grabovoi. "How can you help us?" And he tells me: "When you come there, find a tall Korean in kishlak and ask him". And I did as he said. Can you believe that this Korean was the only witness of the accident. And he told me that the pilot did not see the high voltage wires, which led to the fall of the helicopter. And the pilot was afraid to take the blame upon himself, and decided to hide these circumstances.
C: And how far away was Grigori Petrovich from that place at that time?
B: About 350 km away, if to consider straight distance.
C: It is impressive.
B: The like accident happened in Tashauz in Turkmenistan in autumn of 1993. But then two people died, and the self-recording device burnt. So, there was no lead. And again Grigori Petrovich helped us to find the reason. It appeared to be very simple: the pilots simply had no permit for night flying, and were not ready for it. And still they flew at night. I should say that the time of the fall was unknown to us at that moment. And only then we managed to find two witnesses, who could confirm: yes, they saw a night flight.
C: Let us pinpoint our attention upon the abilities of Grigori Petrovich, and his personality.
B: He is a calm, competent, well-bred, and witty person.
C: Did you say witty?
B: He always was in good mood, never lost his temper, even if he saw that somebody did not understand him. Pilots value such qualities in people. And you know, we could feel the basis of Grabovoi, his profound knowledge and extraordinary abilities.
C: And who else worked with Grigori Petrovich from the people you know?
B: Boris Mitrofanovich Nesvitiy, head of inspection branch in the flight safety, Mikhail Moiseyevich Azef, inspection engineer in the aerotechnics department, Kamil Askhadulayevich Koremulin, inspection engineer in single-engine airplanes, Aleksandr Viktorovich Rodionov, pilot, inspector on TU-154.
C: So all these people have higher education, don’t they?
B: Of course, they do, only higher education.
C: And what other services in the airline were interested in Grigori Petrovich's assistance?
B: Grigori Petrovich came in the right time. We had a technological progress and rearmament at that time: computer centre, for example, received new computers, and aerotechnical bases got new plane types. That is why engineers were very interested, of course. Aircraft repair plant 243 needed the diagnostics as well.
C: And did Grabovoi take part in any activities at that plant?
B: Yes, it was direct participation. First of all, I need to explain the technological procedure: the engines are repaired at very high temperatures. Some failure may take place, and microfissures appear at high temperatures, which may develop during the flight, so that the engine may simply explode. So, once a Bulgarian plane AN-12 was at repair at the plant. Grigori Petrovich diagnosed it and said it had some fissures in the load-bearing elements of the airplane wings. The experts opened the wing and conducted an x-ray examination: really there were some microfissures! So Grabovoi managed to prevent a possible tragedy once again.
C: Why did Grigori Petrovich pay his attention to this very plane? Was it on his own initiative or on the authoritative instruction?
B: His own, upon just entering the territory of the plant.
The thing is the diagnostics was reduced to finding the malfunction. He could say that one plane was just ok, and another was faulty.
C: Were all these results documented?
B: Yes, documented in protocols.
C: Were these results shown to the authorities?
B: All documents were directed to the Ministry of civil aviation. And I think it was one of the reasons, why Grigori Petrovich was taken to Moscow. In the year of 1994 he was invited to the Russian capital.
C: Has the number of plane crashes increased after Grigori Petrovich left?
B: Grigori Petrovich has continued helping our airline carrier. The thing is that Grabovoi dealt with presidential planes, on which Karimov flew.
C: Has the number of plane crashes increased?
B: No. There have been no accidents with presidential planes so far.
C: So do you consider it to be his merit?
B: I do not consider. I know it for sure! It is completely a merit of Grigori Petrovich.
This certificate is fully available by the link to the audio recording in Russian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTh0rj9UXjk