Mumbai

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Schedule:

Tokyo – Hong Kong – Calcutta – Bombay

MSN:

4667

YOM:

1956

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On approach to Bombay-Santa Cruz Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls. On short final, due to lack of visibility, the captain decided to make a go around. While trying to climb, the airplane stalled and crashed near the runway end. All 46 occupants were evacuated while the aircraft was destroyed. It is believed the climb speed was insufficient, causing the aircraft to stall and crash.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK in Mumbai

Date & Time: May 9, 1953

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

VT-AXD

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lockheed L-749 Constellation

MSN:

13294

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

During the takeoff roll, the crew inadvertently raised the undercarriage before rotation. The aircraft sank on its belly and slid for dozen yards before coming to rest. There were no casualties.

Probable cause:

Crew error.

Crash of a Lockheed L-749A-79-33 Constellation in Bangkok

Date & Time: Mar 23, 1952

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

PH-TFF

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Schedule:

Amsterdam – Rome – Athens – Cairo – Bahrain – Karachi – Bombay – Bangkok – Kuala Lumpur – Jakarta – Darwin – Sydney

MSN:

2652

YOM:

1950

Location:

Bangkok-Don Mueang

Bangkok City District

Country:

Thailand

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route to Bangkok, about 450 km from the intended destination, the crew informed ATC about vibrations coming from the engine number three. The flight was continued uneventfully until the descent was started. On final approach to runway 21, a propeller blade detached from the engine number three that caught fire and suffered severe vibrations. On touchdown, the right main gear collapsed and the airplane skidded for several yards before coming to rest in flames. All 44 occupants were evacuated safely before the aircraft christened 'Venlo' was destroyed by fire.

Probable cause:

Failure of a propeller blade during flight shortly before landing at Don Mueang Airport. This caused the loss of number three engine and fire to break out in the engine nacelle which could not be extinguished. When landing, the right main landing gear collapsed as a consequence of the fire.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47 in Katagaru: 27 killed

Date & Time: Dec 13, 1950

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

VT-CFK

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Bombay – Coimbatore

MSN:

14604/26049

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising in low visibility, the aircraft hit the slope of mountain located near Katagaru, State of Karnataka. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all 27 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Beechcraft D18S in Hyderabad: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 16, 1950

Type of aircraft:

Beechcraft D18

Operator:

Registration:

VT-CIS

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Site:

Lockheed L-749 Constellation

Schedule:

Mumbai – Hyderabad

MSN:

A-0365

YOM:

1947

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed while approaching Hyderabad Airport on a flight from Bombay. The pilot and a passenger were killed while three other passengers were injured.

Crash of a Lockheed L-749-79-33 Constellation in Bombay: 45 killed

Date & Time: Jul 12, 1949 at 0920 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

PH-TDF

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Jakarta – New Delhi – Bombay – Karachi – Cairo – Athens – Rome – Amsterdam

MSN:

2558

YOM:

1947

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

4115

Captain / Total hours on type:

1394.00

Aircraft flight hours:

3381

Circumstances:

The crew encountered poor weather conditions and low visibility while on approach to Bombay-Santa Cruz Airport. On final, the four engine aircraft christened 'Franeker' was too low and hit the slope of the Ghatkopar hill (240 meters high) located about 5 km from the runway 23 threshold. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 45 occupants were killed, among them 13 American journalists.
Crew:
Arnoldus Marcelis (Chris) van de Vaart, captain,
Cornelis L. van Kooy, pilot,
Pieter Zeeman, pilot,
Johannes Hoogland, radio operator,
Pieter den Daas, radio operator,
Heinrich Fronczek, flight engineer,
Jacob Willem Dalman, flight engineer,
Jacobus Verhaagen, steward,
Carola Graf, stewardess,
Janny Bruce, steward.

Probable cause:

The Board was of the opinion that two successive errors of judgment were committed by the pilot. These were as follows:
- He initiated a landing procedure at an aerodrome with which he was not acquainted, in weather conditions which were lower than the minimum prescribed for landings on that aerodrome,
- Upon arrival over the aerodrome, he flew at too low an altitude over a terrain which he must have known to include a hill which constituted a hazard for his aircraft, which hill he was not able to see, on account of the poor visibility and low cloud.
The Board further considered that the following factors contributed towards the accident to a considerable extent:
- Air Traffic Control did not advise the pilot to delay his landing until the weather conditions had improved, or otherwise to divert to another aerodrome,
- Air Traffic Control designated a runway for the landing which necessitated the aircraft venturing low over dangerous terrain as indicated above.

Crash of a Vickers 632 Viking 1B in Marve Beach

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1949

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Viking

Operator:

Registration:

VT-CIZ

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Mumbai – Karachi

MSN:

202

YOM:

1947

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Bombay-Santa Cruz, the crew encountered technical problems and elected to return. As the situation deteriorated rapidly, the captain decided to attempt an emergency landing in Marve Beach, about 13 km northwest of Bombay Airport. The aircraft belly landed on a beach, slid for several yards and came to rest. While all 25 occupants escaped uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Unknown technical issue.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Mumbai

Date & Time: Nov 21, 1948

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Indian Overseas Airlines - IOA

Registration:

VT-AZZ

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

4267

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Ground accident in Bombay-Santa Cruz Airport. No injuries.

Crash of a Vickers 632 Viking 1B in Mumbai

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1948

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Viking

Operator:

Registration:

VT-CLY

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: