Deadliest accidents in Indian Aviation History

Deadliest accidents in Indian Aviation History

INDIAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 440 (1973)

ON MAY 31, 1973, Indian Airlines flight 440 crashed during its approach to Palam Airport. Boeing 737-200 encountered severe weather and struck high-tension wires just short of the runway. Of the 65 on board, 48 died, including politician Mohan Kumaramangalam.

AIR INDIA FLIGHT 855 (1978)

ON JANUARY 1, 1978, Dubai-bound Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747, plunged into the Arabian Sea shortly after taking off from Mumbai, killing all 213 on board. The disaster occurred only 101 seconds into the flight when a faulty Attitude Director Indicator led the captain to misinterpret the aircraft's orientation.

INDIAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 113 (1988)

AMID POOR VISIBILITY ON OCTOBER 19, 1988, Indian Airlines Flight 113, a Boeing 737-200, crashed on its approach to Ahmedabad Airport. The flight, arriving from Mumbai, struck trees and crashed short of the runway, killing 133 of the 135 on board. 

INDIAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 605 (1990)

INDIAN AIRLINES Flight 605 crashed while ap-proaching Bengaluru's HAL Airport, killing 92 of the 146 on board. The Airbus A320 de-scended too low and hit the ground short of the runway, skidding onto a golf course.

CHARKHI DADRI MID-AIR COLLISION (1996)

ON NOV 12, 1996, 349 people were killed in what became India's most devastating aviation disaster. Saudia Flight 763, a Boeing 747, and Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907, an Ilyushin 11-76, collided mid-air near GW Charkhi Dadri in Haryana. The accident was the result of a com-munication failure and the blo Kazakh crew descending below their assigned altitude. Following the, India introduced significant aviation safety meas-ures, including mandating the installation of TCAS on all com mercial aircraft.

ALLIANCE AIR FLIGHT 7412 (2000)

ALLIANCE AIR FLIGHT 7412 crashed into a densely populated area in Patna while attempt-ing to land. The Boeing 737-200 experienced a stall at low altitude due to the reported improper handling during the final approach. Sixty people were killed, including five on the ground.

AIR INDIA EXPRESS FLIGHT 812 (2010)

AIR INDIA EXPRESS Flight 812 overshot the runway while land-ing at Mangaluru International Airport. Boeing 737-800, coming from Dubai, plunged into a gorge beyond the tabletop runway and burst into flames, killing 158. It brought increased scrutiny to India's tabletop airports.

AIR INDIA EXPRESS FLIGHT 1344 (2020)

AIR INDIA EXPRESS Flight 1344, operating as part of the Vande Bharat repatria-tion mission, skidded off the runway while landing at the Kozhikode (Calicut) Airport on August 7, 2020. Amid heavy rain, the aircraft over-shot the wet tabletop run-way, plunged into a valley and split into two. Of the 190 on board, 21, including two pilots, lost their lives.

Source: PTI