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
Schedule:
Calcutta - Pasighat
MSN:
13245
YOM:
1944
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
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:
VT-AUA.pdf2.79 MB
