Crash of a Beechcraft C90 King Air near Mainpuri: 8 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 2001 at 1331 LT
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft 90 King Air
Operator:
Birla Global Finance
Registration:
VT-EFF
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Executive/Corporate/Business
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
New Delhi - Kanpur
MSN:
LJ-705
YOM:
1977
Location:
Mainpuri
Uttar Pradesh
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Captain / Total flying hours:
1596
Circumstances:
En route from New Delhi to Kanpur, the crew reported over Aligarh. Short of next reporting point Kadas, the aircraft was about 10 miles right of track for which the permission was obtained and the pilot requested for a direct routing to Kanpur. About 10 minutes later, at an altitude of 14,000 feet, while cruising in bad weather conditions, the twin engine aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent, partially disintegrated in the air and eventually crashed in an open field near Mainpuri. All eight occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
While in cruising altitude, the crew encountered severe updrafts while flying in thunderstorm activity. Following a possible abrupt and abnormal manoeuvre, the crew lost control of the airplane that entered a spiral dive, resulting in an in-flight break up due to aerodynamic overload, leading to a total loss of control followed with a heavy impact with the ground.
Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 737-2A8 in Hyderabad: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1978 at 1042 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 737-200
Operator:
Registration:
VT-EAL
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Hyderabad - New Delhi
MSN:
20485/277
YOM:
1971
Location:
Hyderabad-Begumpet
Telangana
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
126
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
After liftoff from runway 09 at Hyderabad-Begumpet Airport, during initial climb, the captain noticed severe vibrations as the leading edges were not properly deployed. After the undercarriage were raised, the captain decided to land back. The airplane belly landed, slid for about 940 meters, overran, struck a perimeter fence and came to rest in flames in a grassy area. The aircraft was totally destroyed by a post crash fire. 31 passengers were injured while 100 other occupants escaped unhurt. A passenger as well as three people cutting grass near the boundary fence were killed.
Probable cause:
Severe vibrations and decision to attempt an emergency landing following incorrect deployment of the leading edges for undetermined reasons.

Crash of a Douglas DC-8-53 in New Delhi: 86 killed

Date & Time: Jun 14, 1972 at 2018 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-8
Operator:
Registration:
JA8012
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Tokyo – Bangkok – New Delhi – Tehran – Cairo – Rome – Frankfurt – London
MSN:
45680/213
YOM:
1964
Flight number:
JL471
Location:
New Delhi
National Capital Territory of Delhi
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
76
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
86
Circumstances:
During a night approach to runway 28 at New Delhi-Palam Airport, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck several houses and crashed in flames on the west shore of the Yamuna River, some 22 km east of the airport. Ten crew members and 72 passengers as well as four people on the ground were killed. Five other occupants were injured. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. At the time of the accident, the copilot was the pilot-in-command.
Probable cause:
Japanese investigators claimed a false glide path signal to be responsible for the descent into terrain. Indian investigators say the accident was caused by a total disregard of laid down procedures by the crew and abandoning all instrument indications without properly ensuring sighting of the runway.

Crash of a Vickers 768D Viscount in Jaipur

Date & Time: Aug 9, 1971 at 1920 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers Viscount
Operator:
Registration:
VT-DIX
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
New Delhi - Jaipur
MSN:
292
YOM:
1958
Location:
Jaipur
Rajasthan
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
23
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The descent to Jaipur-Sanganer Airport was initiated in poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls. Due to low visibility, the captain decided to make a go-around. Few minutes later, a second attempt to land was abandoned and a second go-around was completed. During a third attempt to land, the pilot-in-command landed too far down the runway, about 1,800 feet past the runway threshold. Unable to stop on a wet runway and within the remaining distance, the airplane overran, lost its left main gear and came to rest. All 27 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration.

Crash of an Antonov AN-22 in Panagarh: 25 killed

Date & Time: Dec 19, 1970 at 1650 LT
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-22
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-09305
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Dhaka - New Delhi
MSN:
9340205
YOM:
1979
Location:
Panagarh
West Bengal
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
25
Circumstances:
About 40 minutes after his departure from Dhaka-Tejgaon Airport, en route to New Delhi, the crew declared an emergency after a propeller detached and was rerouted to Panagarh, West Bengal. Unable to lower the gear and the flaps, the captain made a low pass (one meter) above the runway for two km when the right wing dropped and struck the runway surface. Out of control, the airplane crashed and caught fire. All 25 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Failure of propeller blades which detached in flight for undetermined reason.

Crash of a Vickers 768D Viscount near Agra: 18 killed

Date & Time: Sep 11, 1963 at 0400 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers Viscount
Operator:
Registration:
VT-DIO
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Madras – Nagpur – New Delhi
MSN:
192
YOM:
1957
Location:
Agra-Kheria (Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay)
Uttar Pradesh
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
18
Circumstances:
On 10 September 1963, Viscount aircraft VT-DIO was on a scheduled domestic flight, operating the Night Air Mail Service on the route Madras - Nagpur - New Delhi. It took off from Madras at 2240 hours Indian standard time and the flight to Nagpur was uneventful. The aircraft took off from Nagpur with another crew at 0237 hours on 11 September. Communications difficulties were encountered commencing at 0258 hours; the last message known to be sent by the aircraft was at 0336 hours; at that time VT-DIO was flying normally at an altitude of 16 500 ft, the sky was clear and the estimated time of arrival to the Delhi Control boundary was given as 0405. There was enough fuel in the aircraft to maintain flight until 0950 hours. At approximately 0400 hours, the aircraft crashed in a field near village Patti, 15 miles from Agra. The impact resulted in immediate explosion and fire, all aboard being killed.
Probable cause:
The cause of the accident could not be established. Although there is little substantial evidence to support the assumption, it is possible that a sudden malfunctioning of the auto-pilot and/or a sudden failure of the electrical power may have created conditions which made it impossible for the crew to retain control of the aircraft, thus causing it to lose height rapidly and crash to the ground.
Final Report:

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes IV/A in Calcutta

Date & Time: Sep 1, 1957 at 0530 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes
Operator:
Registration:
G-AKFP
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Blackbushe – Karachi – New Delhi – Calcutta – Singapore
MSN:
81/1
YOM:
1948
Location:
Calcutta-Dum Dum
West Bengal
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
58
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The Hermes aircraft was on a non-scheduled passenger flight from Blackbushe Airport, England to Singapore with stops at Karachi, Delhi and Calcutta. While making a radar assisted approach to run way 01R at Dum Dum Airport, Calcutta, it collided (at 0000 hour GMT) with a Dakota aircraft which was lined up on runway 01L. The Dakota was destroyed and four members of the crew, the only occupants on board, were fatally injured. The Hermes sustained substantial damage but was not repaired. Two passengers were injured.
Probable cause:
An error on the part of the Commander of the Hermes aircraft in turning down the R/T during the final stage of the radar assisted approach and in deciding to continue the approach under conditions which did not enable him to identify positively the correct runway. This led him landing on runway 01L instead of 01R as granted by ATC.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-20-DK in Nagpur: 10 killed

Date & Time: Feb 2, 1955 at 0350 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
VT-CVB
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Madras – Nagpur – New Delhi
MSN:
13037
YOM:
1944
Location:
Nagpur
Maharashtra
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Captain / Total flying hours:
5867
Captain / Total hours on type:
2778.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
3671
Copilot / Total hours on type:
268
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Nagpur Airport runway 09 at 0348LT on a flight to New Delhi. Two minutes later, while climbing at low height, the pilot-in-command attempted a steep turn to the left when the aircraft stalled and crashed in a huge explosion in an open field located 5,650 feet from the runway end. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all ten occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The aircraft crashed as a result of slipping into the ground in the course of a badly executed steep turn to port carried out at night at a low altitude. No importance need be attached to the fact that the captain took a turn to the left instead of to the right, as is generally done by most of the pilots when taking off for Delhi from Runway 27. We find from the record that it was not unusual for the pilot in question to take a turn to the left but the mistake lay in badly executing a turn. The reason for such a steep turn is not easy to ascertain. It is possible that the pilot may have done so in order to get on course quickly. It is also possible that he relied on visual reference instead of flying entirely on instruments as he should have done, thereby going into a turn steeper than intended, or it may be that he was misled by the instruments.
Final Report:

Crash of a Convair CV-240-7 in Kailashahar: 16 killed

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1953
Type of aircraft:
Convair CV-240
Operator:
Registration:
AP-AEG
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Rawalpindi – New Delhi – Dhaka
MSN:
82
YOM:
1949
Location:
Kailashahar
Tripura
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
16
Circumstances:
En route from New Delhi to Dhaka, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and was unable to locate Dhaka Airport. The airplane continued to the east and the captain eventually decided to reduce his altitude in an attempt to establish a visual contact with the ground when the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located near Kailashahar. All 16 occupants were killed.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.104 Dove 1 in Lucknow

Date & Time: Feb 3, 1952
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.104 Dove
Operator:
Registration:
HW516
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Lucknow – New Delhi
MSN:
04159
YOM:
1948
Location:
Lucknow
Uttar Pradesh
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Lucknow Airport, while climbing, an engine failed. The crew elected to make an emergency landing in an open field where the airplane came to rest. All eight occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Engine failure shortly after liftoff.
Subscribe to New Delhi