Himachal Pradesh | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The twin engine aircraft departed New Delhi-Indira Gandhi Airport on an ambulance flight to Kulu-Bhuntar, carrying three doctors and two pilots. While descending to Kulu-Bhuntar Airport in IMC conditions, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located 20 km from the destination airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all five occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The pilot descended below minimum sector altitude in Instrument Meteorological Condition in hilly area.
Contributing factors were:
1. ATC Chandigarh contributed to the accident by permitting IFR flight to descend below minimum sector altitude.
2. Inadequate Supervision, Lack of Safety culture and poor pre-flight planning. Factor: Pilot: Non-adherence to standard operating procedure.

Final Report:

Crash of a Let L-410UVP-E9D in Kulu: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jul 11, 1996 at 0855 LT

Type of aircraft:

Let L-410

Operator:

Registration:

VT-ETC

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

New Delhi – Shimla – Kulu

MSN:

94 27 03

YOM:

1994

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

8912

Captain / Total hours on type:

1705.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1789

Copilot / Total hours on type:

828

Aircraft flight hours:

3297

Aircraft flight cycles:

2556

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Shimla, the crew started the descent to Kulu-Bhuntar Airport in poor visibility due to thick fog. On approach, the aircraft struck trees and crashed in a wooded area located on Mt Bandi. The aircraft was destroyed and all nine occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The was due to a complete lack of safety awareness, proper supervision and operational control in the organisation. The non compliance of safety requirements on part of the operator was a contributing factor.

Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft 200 Super King Air near Sundar Nagar: 11 killed

Date & Time: Jul 9, 1994 at 0905 LT

Type of aircraft:

Beechcraft 200 Super King Air

Operator:

Registration:

VT-EUJ

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Government

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Chandigarh – Kulu-Bhuntar

MSN:

BB-1456

YOM:

1993

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

7503

Captain / Total hours on type:

113.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

6412

Copilot / Total hours on type:

Aircraft flight hours:

153

Aircraft flight cycles:

186

Circumstances:

The twin engine aircraft departed Chandigarh Airport at 0850LT on a flight to Kulu-Bhuntar, carrying eight passengers and three crew members, among them Surendra Nath, Governor of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh along with his family members. While in cruising altitude, the crew encountered limited visibility due to cumulus when the aircraft struck trees and rocks and crashed on the slope of a mountain located in the Kamrunag Mountain Range, about 18,5 km southeast of Sundar Nagar, some 50 km south of Kulu-Bhuntar Airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all 11 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was caused due to serious errors on the part of the flight crew by not strictly adhering to the VFR conditions for flight to Bhuntar Airfield. As a result, the aircraft after encountering cumulus clouds enroute, deviated from the pre-determined route and collided with the hilltop covered with clouds.
The contributed factors to the accident were:
- Existence of bad weather enroute with cumulus clouds in layers covering the hill tops;
- Pilots not conversant with the topography of the mountains in the region;
- Failure on the part of the flight crew not to refer and follow the maps of the region;
- Mental pressure on the pilot-in-command to complete the flight in time with a view to meet the subsequent flight commitments;
- Failure on the part of the copilot to bring out flight deviations to the notice of the commander,
- Disregard of procedures, regulations and instructions on part of the pilot,
- Operational decision.

Final Report:

Crash of an Antonov AN-12BP near Rohtang Pass: 102 killed

Date & Time: Feb 7, 1968 at 1500 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-12

Operator:

Registration:

BL534

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Chandigarh - Leh

MSN:

02 4 003

YOM:

1961

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

102

Circumstances:

The four engine aircraft departed Chandigarh on a flight to Leh, carrying 98 passengers, soldiers and family members. While descending to Leh, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with snowstorm and the captain made a 180 turn to return to Chandigarh as a landing at Leh Airport was impossible. Few minutes later, while cruising in zero visibility at an altitude of 22,000 feet, the airplane struck the slope of a snow covered mountain located near the Rohtang Pass, Himachal Pradesh. As the airplane failed to return to Chandigarh, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few weeks later as no trace of the aircraft no the 102 occupants was found. Some debris were found in August 2003 at an altitude of 5,400 meters in the Dhaka Glacier and three bodies in August 2007.