India | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Upon landing at Chandigarh Airport, the nose gear collapsed. The airplane slid for several yards before coming to rest. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Nose gear collapsed on landing.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar in Chushul: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 1, 1961

Type of aircraft:

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar

Operator:

Registration:

IK459

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Chushul - Chushul

MSN:

11300

YOM:

1953

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

The crew was performing a local training flight from Chushul Airstrip when an engine failed in flight. Six occupants bailed out and shortly later, the airplane struck a rocky peak and crashed, killing the three crew members who remained in the airplane.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 near Pune: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 7, 1961

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Hyderabad – Bombay

Location:

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Circumstances:

While cruising by night on a flight from Hyderabad to Bombay, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in the region of Pune, killing all four crew members.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 at Rimkhim Post

Date & Time: May 1, 1961

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Flight Phase:

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Survivors:

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Circumstances:

Engaged in a supply mission, the pilot was approaching the drop zone when he realized he was facing a mountain. He reduced the engine power in an attempt to make an emergency landing when the airplane crash landed on the slope of a snowy mountain an altitude of 5,100 meters. On impact, a fuel tank was broken and the aircraft came to rest in flames. All five crew members were uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Douglas C-54A-15-DC Skymaster in Nagpur

Date & Time: Mar 22, 1961

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Operator:

Seven Seas Airlines

Registration:

N5519V

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Bombay – Bangkok

MSN:

10347

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

En route from Bombay to Bangkok, the crew encountered technical problems with the engines and decided to divert to Nagpur for an emergency landing. On approach, the pilot-in-command was unable to maintain a safe altitude and as the aircraft was losing height, he attempted an emergency landing in a plantation located 12 km from the airport. The four engine aircraft crash landed and came to rest. All three crew members were unhurt while the aircraft was written off.

Probable cause:

Engine problems in flight.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 in Puri

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1960

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

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Circumstances:

Shot down by Naga rebels and crashed in a field. All occupants became prisoners.

Crash of a Scottish Twin Pioneer 3 in Jorhat: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 10, 1960

Type of aircraft:

Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer

Operator:

Registration:

G-ANTP

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Demonstration

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Jorhat - Jorhat

MSN:

501

YOM:

1955

Location:

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Region:

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Circumstances:

Just after liftoff, while climbing to a height of 100 feet, the aircraft banked left, stalled and crashed in flames near the runway end. Two crew members were killed and third occupant was seriously injured. They were engaged in a local demo flight.

Probable cause:

The accident is attributed to an attempt to climb the aircraft on single engine with full flaps and slats during the takeoff when its all-up weight was near its maximum limit. The aircraft lost its forward speed, stalled and crashed, as its climb performance is inadequate in such configuration and under the conditions it was operating.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide in Somarampet: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 22, 1960

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide

Operator:

Air Survey of India

Registration:

VT-ASC

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Hyderabad - Nagpur

MSN:

6762

YOM:

1944

Location:

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Circumstances:

The twin engine aircraft left Hyderabad-Begumpet Airport on a survey flight to Nagpur. En route, the airplane went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a field located in Somarampet. All three occupants were killed. It is believed the accident was the consequence of an in-flight structural failure.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-20-DK near Taksing: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jan 3, 1960 at 1040 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

VT-CGG

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Supply

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Jorhat - Taksing - Jorhat

MSN:

12821

YOM:

1944

Location:

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Region:

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Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

17868

Circumstances:

The crew left Jorhat on a supply mission to Taksing, Arunachal Pradesh. Following a navigation error, the aircraft went into a narrow valley and the captain, not familiarized with the region, made a turn to leave the area when the airplane stalled and crashed in a mountainous terrain. The aircraft was destroyed and all nine occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was attributed to an error of navigation which caused the pilot to enter a wrong valley. During an attempt to turn back in a restricted area, the aircraft stalled and crashed. The fact that this was the pilot's first flight to this dropping zone, and he was not familiar with the terrain, contributed to the accident.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-30-DL near Saku: 6 killed

Date & Time: Aug 3, 1959 at 1030 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

VT-DGP

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Mohanbari – Along

MSN:

9549

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

Eleven minutes after he departed Mohanbari-Dibrugarh Airport, the pilot reported his position to ATC. Shortly later, the airplane struck a mountain and crashed near Saku. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all six occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was attributed to an error of navigation on the part of the pilot. He entered a wrong valley and without proper assessment of the performance of his fully-loaded aircraft in the space available attempted to make a steep insufficient to effect a recovery from the stall.