Region
Asia

Crash of a Consolidated B-24 Liberator near Palakkad: 10 killed

Date & Time: Feb 5, 1958
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
HE842
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Sulur - Sulur
Location:
Palakkad
Kerala
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The crew departed Sulur AFB, Tamil Nadu, on a training mission. En route, weather conditions deteriorated and the pilot-in-command decided to gain altitude when the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain shrouded in clouds and located in the region of Palakkad. All ten crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando in Panagarh

Date & Time: Sep 20, 1957
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Western Hemisphere Import & Export Company
Registration:
PP-LEI
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
27080
YOM:
1944
Location:
Panagarh
West Bengal
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach to Panagarh, the airplane crashed in a field located 5 km short of runway. Both pilots were injured while the aircraft was written off.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK in Calcutta: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 1, 1957 at 0530 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
VT-AUA
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Calcutta - Pasighat
MSN:
13245
YOM:
1944
Location:
Calcutta-Dum Dum
West Bengal
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew received the permission to line up on runway 01L at Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport to perform a cargo flight to Pasighat. One minute later, the aircraft was struck by an Airwork Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes IV/A that was landing on the same runway. The C-47 was destroyed upon impact and all four crew members were killed. The Hermes stopped few dozen yards farther and was later considered as damaged beyond repair. At the time of the accident, the visibility was 2,000 yards by night.
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.
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 De Havilland DH.104 Dove 1 in the Nilgiri Mountains: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 1, 1957
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.104 Dove
Operator:
Registration:
HW524
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Coimbatore – Mangalore
MSN:
04244
YOM:
1949
Location:
Nilgiri Hills
Tamil Nadu
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Few minutes after his departure from Coimbatore Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions when the aircraft struck a mountain located in the Nilgiri Hills. The wreckage was found four days later and all three occupants have been killed. There were heavy rain falls at the time of the accident.

Crash of a Douglas C-53D-DO in Assam: 8 killed

Date & Time: Aug 20, 1957
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
VT-ARH
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Supply
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
4851
YOM:
1942
Location:
Assam State
Assam
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a supply mission over Assam, carrying a load of various goods that should be jettisoned. While completing a sharp turn at low height, the pilot lost control of the airplane that stalled and crashed. All eight occupants were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 in Mt Pir Panjal: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 8, 1957
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
HJ918
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Location:
Pir Panjal Mountain Range
Jammu and Kashmir
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances in Pir Panjal Mountain Range. A crew member was killed while two others were rescued.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-90-DL near Silchar: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 5, 1957
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
VT-AUV
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Silchar – Calcutta
MSN:
20318
YOM:
1944
Location:
Silchar
Assam
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Few minutes after takeoff from Silchar Airport, the crew encountered bad weather. The aircraft went out of control and crashed near the village of Santoshpur. A crewman was killed while two other occupants were injured. It appears the accident occurred in poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity, turbulences and downdrafts.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK in New Delhi: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 13, 1957 at 0915 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
VT-CFB
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
New Delhi - New Delhi
MSN:
13626
YOM:
1944
Location:
New Delhi-Safdarjung
National Capital Territory of Delhi
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
VT-CFB took off from Safdarjung Airport at approximately 0832LT on a training flight. At 0839 it reported as being 20 miles north of Safdarjung Airport and at 5 000 ft. There was no further radiotelephony contact with the aircraft. At approximately 0915 hours it crashed 10 miles north of Safdarjung Airport and was destroyed by impact and fire. Both occupants were killed as were three inmates of a hut in the labour colony where the crash occurred.
Probable cause:
The accident was attributed to loss of control of the aircraft as a result of a spin, inadvertently entered into at a height too low for recovery.
Final Report:
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