In the spring of 2016, there was a loud bang under the blue sky, and the hero of an aircraft carrier pilot came to an end.
In just 4.4 seconds after the failure, Zhang Chao made the choice to sacrifice himself to protect the fighter, when his daughter was only 2 years old...
Hero's Sacrifice and Legacy
On April 27, 2016, pilot Zhang Chao encountered misfortune while completing a training mission. At that time, he was piloting a J-15 carrier-based aircraft for landing training. During the final stages of landing, the plane suddenly experienced a fly-by-wire failure, which caused the aircraft to lose power and control.
In just 4.4 seconds after the failure, Zhang Chao made the choice of sacrificing himself to protect the safety of the fighter and the people around him. He did not immediately choose to parachute to escape, but tried to adjust the attitude of the plane.
Unfortunately, the height was too low for the skydive seat to not work properly and the main parachute to not fully deploy. Zhang Chao fell to the ground with the fighter, and his life was forever frozen at that moment.
Zhang Chao's death was undoubtedly a huge blow to his family. His daughter Hanhan is not old enough to understand goodbye, and she has lost her father, the mountain that guarded her growth.
Zhang Ya lost her partner, but she had a new purpose in life.
After Zhang Chao's sacrifice, Zhang Ya decided to join the army, wearing a military uniform to remember her husband with practical actions, and continuing Zhang Chao's faith and spirit in her own way. Zhang Ya's military career was not ordinary. She successfully passed the rigorous tests of the army and, thanks to her hard work and talent, gradually rose to the rank of captain in the navy.
In addition, Zhang Ya also obtained a postgraduate degree, which allowed her to further improve both military and academically. In this process, Zhang Ya shouldered dual responsibilities, not only as a member of national defense, but also as a mother, taking care of her and Zhang Chao's daughter Hanhan.
Hanhan gradually grew up with the passage of time, and she was educated at Dongfanghong Primary School in Yueyang City with excellent grades. In the eyes of teachers and classmates, Hanhan is a sunny and enthusiastic student. Although she lost her father at a very young age, the love of Zhang Ya and her family and Zhang Chao's story made Hanhan feel the warmth of the family and the power of love.
Zhang Chao's troops and schools have not forgotten this hero who sacrificed his life for the country. According to the decision of the Central Military Commission, Zhang Chao was posthumously awarded the heroic model of the whole army. To commemorate the hero's deeds, in 2019, his hometown of Yueyang City began to build the Zhang Chao Memorial Park.
On the occasion of the first anniversary of his death, Zhang Ya published an article detailing Zhang Chao's efforts as a pilot and their love story, which deeply touched the hearts of countless readers.
The youth of dreams take off
Growing up in Yueyang, he was always full of infinite yearning and enthusiasm for the plane in the sky. Faced with his family's concerns about the dangers inherent in the pilot profession, he did not back down, but firmly moved towards his dream. This dedication to flying eventually led him to go to Changchun Air Force Aviation University alone, a place that paved the way for his dreams.
At Changchun Air Force Aviation University, Zhang Chao won the respect of instructors and classmates with his talent and diligence. Not only has he achieved remarkable academic achievements, but his performance in flight training is even more outstanding. Every time he flies, every time he controls the sky, Zhang Chao is silently marching towards his dream, and gradually grows into an outstanding pilot.
During his studies, a special person appeared in Zhang Chao's life circle - Zhang Ya, his future wife. Zhang Ya, like Zhang Chao, was trained at the Changchun Air Force Aviation University, and their shared interests and dreams soon made them an integral part of each other's lives.
After experiencing common flight training and academic challenges, Zhang Chao and Zhang Ya's relationship grew deeper and deeper, and finally entered the palace of marriage. After rigorous experiences and trials, Zhang Chao graduated from Changchun Air Force Aviation University in 2004, where he received professional flight training and developed an indestructible military concept.
After graduation, faced with the choice of staying in school to teach and going to the front-line troops, Zhang Chao did not choose to be a comfortable faculty member, but responded to the call of his heart, and resolutely chose to continue his pilot career in the front-line troops and became a naval aviation officer.
In the following years, Zhang Chao proved his excellent flying skills and military literacy in his unit, whether it was peacetime training or receiving unexpected tasks, he could deal with them decisively, showing a soldier's sense of responsibility and professionalism. His performance was also recognised by the Army, and he stood out among his comrades and was regarded as a model of good pilot.
With the passage of time, Zhang Chao not only continued to improve his personal skills, but also became the pillar of Zhang Ya and his daughter Hanhan in family life. As a pilot, he is well aware of his responsibilities and keeps in mind the mission of contributing to the safety of the national air and space, while also dedicating love and care to his family.
A voyage of courage
After graduating from Changchun Air Force Aviation University, Zhang Chao chose to enter a more difficult and dangerous environment - the naval aviation unit, an elite group of people who are specifically responsible for carrying out maritime patrol, anti-submarine, vigilance and attack missions. There, Zhang Chao was not only a recruit, but also shouldered the heavy responsibility of defending the blue sea and blue sky of the motherland.
The unit he joined was the place where Wang Wei, the "Guardian of the Sea and Air," once fought. For Zhang Chao, Wang Wei is not only his idol, but also the goal he pursued in his military career. After joining the Naval Aviation, Zhang Chao's life and training have undergone tremendous changes, from land to sea, from Air Force Aviation to Naval Aviation, he needs to adapt to new environments and challenges.
Along the way, Zhang Chao showed remarkable adaptability and extraordinary courage, and he never had the intention of backing down in the face of difficult and dangerous training tasks. In particular, when he received carrier-based aircraft flight training, although he needed to learn from scratch, Zhang Chao still showed unwavering determination and perseverance in the face of the huge challenges and potential risks brought about by the landing training.
In 2015, Zhang Chao joined carrier-based aircraft flight training, which is one of the important steps in the development of the Chinese Navy's aircraft carrier career. Carrier-based aircraft flights are recognized as one of the most dangerous missions in the world, not only because aircraft must take off and land on moving aircraft carriers, but also because they must perform missions in a complex and volatile maritime environment.
Zhang Chao has made remarkable progress in the application of flight technology and tactics, and his flight handling skills have won widespread praise among naval aviation and are even considered the best among pilots of his age.
Zhang Chao's flying career has been full of outstanding achievements and accolades, however, he knows that as a pilot, the most important thing is not to obtain personal glory, but to fulfill the sacred duty of defending national security.
The sacrifice of four points and four seconds
On April 27, 2016, Zhang Chao wore a flight suit and piloted a J-15 carrier-based fighter to carry out the daily tasks of carrier-based aircraft flight training. The task he had to complete that day was ultra-low-altitude flight training, a subject that requires extremely high technical and psychological qualities of pilots.
During the flight, Zhang Chao controlled the fighter plane with precision as usual, showing his usual extraordinary skills and calmness. However, in this ordinary training, a sudden crisis brought his life to an end.
After completing the second sortie, due to the reduced visibility due to weather conditions, Zhang Chao's training mission was adjusted to simulate the landing process, that is, to simulate the landing process of carrier-based aircraft on a land-based runway. Near noon, Zhang Chao manipulated the No. 117 J-15 fighter into the landing route, and cooperated with the voice of the ground commander to carry out the final stage of the landing operation.
However, at this moment, the carrier-based fighter suddenly had a telex failure, which was the most urgent and dangerous situation for the pilot, and the aircraft lost power and control in an instant. Faced with a sudden fly-by-wire failure, Zhang Chao, with his years of flying experience and quick reflexes, reacted in just a few seconds, trying to restore control of the aircraft through emergency operations.
Unfortunately, however, due to the low altitude and the time being too short, Zhang Chao was unable to fully restore the aircraft to a safe state. Amid the anxious calls of the ground commanders and their comrades-in-arms, Zhang Chao made the final decision to try his best to keep the plane stable in order to avoid causing more damage to the ground.
This decision marks that Zhang Chao used his life to interpret the value of "fearless sacrifice" of soldiers. Instead of choosing to escape at the last moment, he chose to minimize the damage caused by the accident as much as possible. In that crucial four-point four-second period, he pushed the rod with all his might, trying to tilt the nose of the plane to soften the impact of the landing.
By doing so, he successfully avoided possible injuries on a larger scale, but it also meant that he lost the opportunity to parachute out. Immediately afterwards, the fighter plane collided violently with the ground, and Zhang Chao died in misfortune, ending his young and glorious life.
After that day, Zhang Chao's name and his story became a model for soldiers in the new era to learn. He used his life to interpret loyalty and dedication, and although he died young, his love for flying, his adherence to duty, and his respect for life will always remain in people's hearts, inspiring generations of pilots to move forward bravely and fearlessly.
Guarding the legacy of love and dreams
After experiencing the great change of Zhang Chao's sacrifice, Zhang Ya decided to transform his personal grief into the power of action. As a flight attendant who graduated from Changchun Air Force Aviation University, she has the same military and flying background as Zhang Chao. Her choice is not only a tribute to her husband Zhang Chao's career during his lifetime, but also an inheritance of their common ideals.
Zhang Ya resolutely joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army and continued to fulfill the promise she and her husband had always shared – to defend the blue sky of the motherland. In the army, Zhang Ya's performance proved her strength and ability. After rigorous training and examinations, she eventually became a captain in the Navy.
In the army, Zhang Ya actively took responsibility and performed her duties loyally, and her performance won the respect and recognition of her colleagues and leaders. As the pilot's wife and naval captain, Zhang Ya is not only a symbol of female strength, but also a representative of the strong and unyielding spirit of military families.
Under the care of Zhang Ya, Hanhan has grown up healthily and has excellent academic performance, and is a star student of Dongfanghong Primary School in Yueyang City. She received a good education in school, where she gradually got to know and carry on her father's spiritual legacy. Ham has become the object of praise from the school and the pride of her community.
Her growth not only witnesses the perseverance and love of a family, but also represents the reverence and inheritance of the heroic spirit of the martyrs of a generation.
Resources:
Archives of Changchun Air Force Aviation University
Chinese People's Liberation Army naval aviation training files
Editing of the program "Moving China" and the record of the symposium