Date & Time:
Nov 5, 1977 at 1942 LT
Type of aircraft:
Tupolev TU-124
Operator:
Registration:
V643
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Government
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
New Delhi - Jorhat
MSN:
6 35 19 02
YOM:
1966
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
5
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed New Delhi-Palam Airport at 1703LT on an official flight to Jorhat-Rowriah Airport, carrying several members of the Indian Government, among them Morarji Desai, Prime Minister, P. K. Thungon, Minister of Arunachal Pradesh and John Lobo, Director of Indian Intelligence Services. On approach, the captain decided to initiate a go-around because the airplane was not properly aligned. Few minutes later, during a second attempt to land, the pilot failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck tree tops, stalled and crashed in a paddy field located few hundred meters short of runway threshold. The aircraft broke in two, the cockpit was destroyed and five crew members were killed. 15 other occupants were injured.
Those killed were:
Wg Cdr Clarence Joseph D’Lima, captain,
S/Ldr Mathew Cyriac, copilot,
Wg Cdr Joginder Singh, navigator,
S/Ldr V. V. S. Sunkar, flight engineer,
F/Lt O. P. Arora, flight signaller.
Those killed were:
Wg Cdr Clarence Joseph D’Lima, captain,
S/Ldr Mathew Cyriac, copilot,
Wg Cdr Joginder Singh, navigator,
S/Ldr V. V. S. Sunkar, flight engineer,
F/Lt O. P. Arora, flight signaller.
