• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Ahmedabad Plane Crash: A tragic plane crash happened on Thursday afternoon, when Air India flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick Airport, crashed near Ahmedabad airport shortly after its 1:38 PM takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The plane was carrying 242 people, consisting of 230 passengers, two pilots and 12 crew members. Images from the Meghaninagar area, the crash site, depicted dense black smoke filling the sky. The 242 people included 217 adults and 11 children, a source told Reuters. Of them, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, Air India said.

This plane crash refreshes the memory of several tragic aviation accidents recorded in the pages of Indian history. Although modern aviation claims high safety standards, India's skies have witnessed quite a few aviation tragedies, leading to significant loss of life and property.

Here is list of deadliest plane crashes In India

1.The Charkhi Dadri Mid-Air Collision (November 12, 1996)

On November 12, 1996, at 6:40 PM, the worst mid-air collision in history occurred over Charkhi Dadri, a town 100 km west of Delhi. Saudi Arabian Airlines flight SV 763 and Kazakhstan Airlines flight KZ 1907 crashed into each other, killing all 349 passengers and cabin crew from both commercial flights; one was departing Delhi, the other landing. Over 500 tonnes of material fell into mustard and cotton fields in Charkhi Dadri, Haryana. Of the deceased, 94 bodies were unidentifiable. This crash led to two significant aviation industry changes, prompting global authorities to require English proficiency due to miscommunication cited as the crash's cause.

2. Air India Flight 855 (January 1, 1978): A Plunge into the Arabian Sea

On the evening of January 1, 1978, Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747-237B named Emperor Ashoka, crashed into the Arabian Sea just 101 seconds after departing Bombay's Santa Cruz Airport (now Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport) for Dubai. All 213 passengers and crew died, making it one of India's deadliest aviation disasters. The probable cause was the captain's irrational control wheel inputs and unawareness of the aircraft's attitude after the Attitude Director Indicator (ADI) malfunctioned. The crew failed to regain control using other flight instruments, including the Standby Horizon Indicator. The co-pilot also failed to monitor flight instruments or assist the captain in determining the aircraft's attitude.

3. Indian Airlines Flight 113 (October 19, 1988): Ahmedabad's Tragedy

On October 19, 1988, Indian Airlines Flight 113, a Boeing 737 from Mumbai, crashed near Ahmedabad airport during its approach. The aircraft, attempting to land in poor visibility without proper visual confirmation, hit trees and an electric pylon before crashing into a paddy field and bursting into flames. 133 of the 135 people onboard died, making it one of India's deadliest aviation disasters. Investigations cited pilot error, failure to follow standard procedures, and air traffic control lapses in relaying weather updates. Only two individuals, Ashok Agarwal and Vinod Tripathi, survived with severe injuries.

4. Indian Airlines Flight 605 (February 14, 1990)

On February 14, 1990, Indian Airlines Flight 605 overshot the runway and crashed during its approach in Bangalore. The Airbus A320 accident, attributed to pilot error, killed 92 of the 146 onboard and raised concerns about the A320 cockpit design and pilot preparedness.

5. Indian Airlines Flight 257 (August 16, 1991)

On August 16, 1991, Indian Airlines Flight 257, en route from Calcutta to Imphal, crashed into Thangjing hills, approximately 37 kilometers (23 miles) southwest of Imphal airport, killing all 69 occupants. The probable cause was attributed to the Pilot-in-Command's error in not following the operational flight plan and ILS let-down chart. His early descent to 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) and right turn for the outbound leg, without reporting overhead VOR, likely caused a loss of time reference and misplacement in the hilly terrain. This action may have been influenced by his extensive familiarity with the area.

6. Air India Express Flight 812 (May 22, 2010): The Mangalore Tragedy

On May 22, 2010, Air India Express Flight 812 crashed at Mangaluru International Airport, killing 158 of the 166 people onboard; only eight survived. This was the first fatal accident for Air India Express and remains one of India's deadliest air crashes.The investigation found the captain made an unstabilized landing approach despite the first officer's "go around" calls. This led to the Boeing 737-800NG(SFP), a short-field performance package aircraft from Dubai International Airport, overshooting the runway, falling down the hillside and catching fire. Mangaluru's runway is comparatively shorter than others.

 

Also In News