Region
Asia

Crash of a Boeing 707-437 in Mumbai

Date & Time: Jan 23, 1971 at 1157 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 707
Operator:
Registration:
VT-DJI
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Bombay - Bombay
MSN:
17722/94
YOM:
1960
Location:
Mumbai-Chhatrapati Shivaji (Santa Cruz)
Maharashtra
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The five crew members were engaged in a local training mission at Bombay-Santa Cruz Airport. During the takeoff roll on three engine, the pilot-in-command lost control of the airplane that deviated to the right and departed the asphalt. The right wing struck a mound of 9 feet high located 188 feet to the right of the runway, causing both right engines n°3 and 4 to be torn off. The aircraft caught fire and came to rest in flames. All five crew members were slightly injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
During a three-engine practice takeoff the check pilot applied full takeoff thrust on n°2 and 3 engines. The aircraft accelerated on two engines and when the speed of 85 kt was attained, the pilot experienced little difficulty in keeping directional control of the aircraft. Thereafter, the pilot applied thrust on engine n°1. The aircraft then went off the runway to the right, n°3 and 4 engines struck a mound 9 feet high located 188 feet from the edge of the runway and were torn off. The wing structure broke off progressively inward and an intense fire broke out. The check pilot admitted that he did not follow the normal procedure specified by Boeing for a 3 engine takeoff and that due to an incorrect reading of the airspeed, he tried to get airborne before reaching VR . Since the nose had been lifted prematurely, nose wheel steering could not be used and control of the aircraft using rudder alone could not be maintained when power on n°1 engine was applied. It was concluded that the accident was caused by the combination of the following factors:
- A loss of control during an attempted three engine takeoff,
- The loss of control was the consequence of the pilot not following the published procedures as mentioned in the aircraft flight manual.

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 Douglas C-47A-1-DK in New Delhi: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 5, 1970 at 0643 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
VT-CZC
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
New Delhi - Jaipur
MSN:
12103
YOM:
1943
Location:
New Delhi-Safdarjung
National Capital Territory of Delhi
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from New Delhi-Safdarjung Airport, while in initial climb, the right engine failed. The pilot declared an emergency, initiated a turn when the airplane went out of control, stalled and crashed. Three crew members and two passengers were killed. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Failure of the right engine during initial climb due to fuel exhaustion. It was determined that the crew failed to follow the preflight checklist and due to poor flight preparation, the aircraft was not refueled prior to departure.

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 400 near Silchar: 39 killed

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1970 at 1445 LT
Type of aircraft:
Fokker F27 Friendship
Operator:
Registration:
VT-DWT
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Silchar – Guwahati
MSN:
10336
YOM:
1967
Location:
Silchar
Assam
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
34
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
39
Aircraft flight hours:
6271
Aircraft flight cycles:
5243
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Silchar-Kumbhirgram Airport, the captain failed to follow the published departure route. While climbing to an altitude of 5,600 feet, he initiated a right turn in clouds and rain when the airplane struck a mountain located 19 km northeast of the airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 39 occupants were killed.
Crew:
G. C. Dutta, pilot,
N. V. S. Reddy, copilot,
S. Das Gupta, flight engineer,
A. Bhattacharjee, steward,
S. B. Chaturvedi, steward.
Probable cause:
The pilot who had not made use of the Met. Forecast left by the relieved Commander at Silchar Airport did not follow the safer course of climbing overhead to the minimum sector altitude before setting course for Guwahati. He aggravated the situation by turning to the right without attaining the adequate terrain clearance, causing the aircraft to struck the ground.

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 200 in Rawalpindi: 30 killed

Date & Time: Aug 6, 1970 at 0717 LT
Type of aircraft:
Fokker F27 Friendship
Operator:
Registration:
AP-ALM
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Rawalpindi - Lahore
MSN:
10163
YOM:
1960
Location:
Rawalpindi
Punjab
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
26
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
30
Aircraft flight hours:
19000
Aircraft flight cycles:
26000
Circumstances:
Three minutes after its takeoff from Rawalpindi Airport, while climbing, the airplane went through a thunderstorm area. Due to heavy turbulences, the airplane went out of control, nosed down and eventually crashed in an open field located some 20 km southeast of Rawalpindi. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 30 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Loss of control while flying in a thunderstorm area consisting of heavy rain falls, turbulences and strong winds.

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 200 in Agartala

Date & Time: Jun 7, 1970 at 1839 LT
Type of aircraft:
Fokker F27 Friendship
Operator:
Registration:
VT-DVG
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
10309
YOM:
1966
Location:
Agartala
Tripura
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
35
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
7273
Aircraft flight cycles:
6429
Circumstances:
Following a wrong approach configuration, the aircraft landed at a too high speed and too far down the runway, some 2,775 feet past the runway threshold. After touchdown, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran, lost its undercarriage and came to rest. All 39 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration on part of the flying crew who continued the approach at a too high speed and landed too far down the runway, reducing the landing distance available.

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander in Rawalpindi

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1970
Type of aircraft:
Britten-Norman Islander
Operator:
Registration:
G-AXRJ
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Demonstration
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
123
YOM:
1970
Location:
Rawalpindi
Punjab
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a demo flight on behalf of the British manufacturer Britten-Norman. On final approach, during the last segment, the twin engine aircraft hit an obstacle located near the runway threshold and crashed. Both crew members were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 200 in New Delhi: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 25, 1970 at 1913 LT
Type of aircraft:
Fokker F27 Friendship
Operator:
Registration:
9N-AAR
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Kathmandu - New Delhi
MSN:
10290
YOM:
1965
Location:
New Delhi-Palam
National Capital Territory of Delhi
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
7891
Aircraft flight cycles:
4581
Circumstances:
On approach to Palam Airport in New Delhi, the crew encountered very bad weather conditions with storm activity, turbulences, rain and windshear. On final, the pilot-in-command lost control of the airplane that was caught by downdrafts and crashed 3 km short of runway 28. A passenger was killed while 22 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Loss of control caused by downdrafts, turbulences and probable windshear on final approach.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar in Agra: 20 killed

Date & Time: Jun 29, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Agra - Nagpur
Location:
Agra-Kheria (Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay)
Uttar Pradesh
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
20
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Agra Airport, while climbing in poor weather conditions, the airplane went out of control and crashed in a field located in Burhere, some 27 km from Agra. All 20 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 200 in Khulna: 44 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1969 at 2030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Fokker F27 Friendship
Operator:
Registration:
VT-DOJ
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Silchar – Agartala – Calcutta
MSN:
10214
YOM:
1962
Location:
Khulna
West Bengal
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
40
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
44
Aircraft flight hours:
14221
Aircraft flight cycles:
12017
Circumstances:
While descending to Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions over the border with Bangladesh when control was lost. The airplane crashed in an open field located in Khulna, some 55 km southeast of Dum Dum Airport and was destroyed upon impact. All 44 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Loss of control caused by turbulences and severe downdrafts while flying in thunderstorm activity.
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