An Air India plane AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London crashed near the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Ahmedabad airport during takeoff on Thursday. The flight was carrying a total of 230 passengers and 12 crew members. The Air India flight was a Boeing 787-8 twin jet. According to the Police Control room, the Air India Flight AI 171 was bound for London. Thick plumes of smoke were seen at the accident spot, and fire tenders rushed to the spot.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and took stock of the crash incident. The Prime Minister has directed the Minister to ensure all necessary support is extended immediately and asked to be kept regularly updated on the situation, news agency ANI reported citing sources. As per the information, the plane was carrying 169 Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals.
Here we take a look at some of the biggest air tragedies in India:
1. Air India Express Flight 1344 (2020)
Air India Express Flight 1344 crashed while attempting to land at Kozhikode International Airport amid heavy rainfall on August 7, 2020. The ill-fated Boeing 737, operating under the Vande Bharat Mission to repatriate Indians stranded abroad due to the pandemic, skidded off the table-top runway, plunged down a 110-foot embankment, and split into several pieces upon impact. The flight was carrying 190 passengers and crew members. The crash claimed 21 lives, including those of both pilots. Over 75 people had sustained serious injuries.
2. Air India Express Flight 812 (2010)
Air India Express Flight 812, a Boeing 737-800 operating from Dubai to Mangalore, met with a tragic accident while attempting to land at Mangalore International Airport on May 22, 2010. The aircraft overshot the table-top runway following an unstabilised approach, despite the first officer's repeated calls for a go-around. As a result, the plane careened off the edge of the runway, plunged down a steep slope, and erupted into flames. Of the 166 people on board, 158 lost their lives in one of India's deadliest aviation disasters.
3. Alliance Air Flight 7412 (2000)
Alliance Air Flight 7412, a Boeing 737-2A8, crashed while on final approach to Patna airport on July 17, 2000. The aircraft nose-dived into a densely populated residential area, resulting in the deaths of 60 people, including five on the ground. Investigations revealed that the crash was a result of pilot error. As per details, the flight crew deviated from standard operating procedures by keeping the engines at idle during a critical phase of flight and attempted a go-around after receiving a stall warning, instead of performing the correct stall recovery procedure.
4. Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision (1996)
The Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision on November 12, 1996, is one of the deadliest aviation accidents in India. It claimed 349 lives when two planes — Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 763, a Boeing 747 departing Delhi, and Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907, an Ilyushin Il-76 arriving in Delhi — crashed into each other in the skies over Charkhi Dadri village, about 100 km west of Delhi. Both were under Delhi air traffic control at the time. As per the information, miscommunication led one aircraft to descend below its assigned altitude, causing the fatal collision.
5. Indian Airlines Flight 605 (1990)
On February 14, 1990, Indian Airlines Flight 605, an Airbus A320, crashed while trying to land in Bangalore, resulting in the deaths of 92 out of 146 people on board. The aircraft descended too low in "open descent" mode with engines at idle, due to a pilot error in selecting the correct mode and a delayed reaction to altitude alerts. The plane hit a golf course and an embankment before catching fire. Investigators found no mechanical issues and concluded that the crash was caused by crew error and poor situational awareness.
6. Indian Airlines Flight 113 (1988)
Indian Airlines Flight 113, a Boeing 737-200 flying from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, crashed during its approach to Ahmedabad Airport on October 19, 1988. The aircraft hit trees and a high-tension power line before crashing just 2.5 km short of the runway, killing 133 of the 135 people on board, including all six crew members. The crash occurred in poor visibility, and investigations revealed that the pilots descended below the minimum safe altitude without having the runway in sight. The situation was made worse by inaccurate visibility information provided by airport authorities.
7. 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 people 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. The crash took place in nighttime conditions over the sea, contributing to the crew's spatial disorientation.
8. Indian Airlines Flight 440 (1973)
On May 31, 1973, Indian Airlines Flight 440 crashed during its approach to Delhi's Palam Airport. The Boeing 737-200 encountered severe weather and struck high-tension wires just short of the runway. Of the 65 people on board, 48 died. Among the dead was prominent Indian politician Mohan Kumaramangalam. The crash underscored the need for improved weather radar at Indian airports.
