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India.com
a day ago
- General
- India.com
The Night Two Planes Collided And Death Rained: Ahmedabad Crash Brings Back India's Deadliest Aviation Tragedy
New Delhi: It was a calm 12 November evening in 1996 when the skies over Charkhi Dadri in Haryana turned into a scene from a nightmare. At 6:30 PM, two passenger jets – one from Kazakhstan and the other from Saudi Arabia – smashed into each other mid-air, killing all 349 people on board. It remains the deadliest aviation disaster in India's history. Now, 29 years later, the Air India Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad on June 12 has reopened wounds that never truly healed. For those who witnessed the horror unfold back then, the images are etched in memory – bodies scattered across fields, fireballs lighting up the sky and silence broken only by the sound of sirens and crying families. Senior journalist Dayanand Pradhan was the first reporter on the ground in Charkhi Dadri that night. 'There were bodies everywhere. Some missing limbs, others charred beyond recognition. You could not take a step without stumbling upon wreckage or death,' he recalled while talking to Dainik Bhaskar. He still keeps an album of photos from that day – a reminder of a tragedy that time could never erase. Locals remember seeing two fireballs falling from the sky like comets. Within seconds, chaos erupted. People ran barefoot across harvested fields, trying to find survivors. 'We heard a thunderclap, saw a flash and then the sky rained metal and fire. We rushed in, calling others to help. But the heat was so intense, we couldn't get near,' one Rampal, who lived near the crash site, told the Hindi daily. Farmer Suresh was sowing wheat that day in his field. The aircraft debris ruined his land and his peace. 'Even after the bodies were cleared and the flames died down, no one went near those fields. It felt cursed,' he said. Debris and human remains were found scattered across a 10-kilometre radius. In the aftermath, volunteers from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) provided food and shelter to grieving families. Locals helped with cremations, often performing last rites for strangers. Master Suresh Garg recalls how people from nearby towns arrived in droves to offer aid. 'The village turned into a makeshift funeral ground. No one waited for orders. We just did what had to be done,' he said. Then-Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and Haryana Cief Minister Bansi Lal rushed to Charkhi Dadri to take a stock of the situation. They promised a hospital and a memorial. A Saudi charity later set up a temporary hospital, but it eventually shut down. Six-Point Breakdown 1. Collision over Tikana village: Saudi Flight 763, a Boeing 747, was flying to Dhahran from Delhi. Kazakh Flight 1907 was a chartered Ilyushin Il-76 arriving in Delhi from Chimkent. The two collided mid-air, about 65 km from Delhi. 2. A full flight: The Saudi plane carried 312 passengers and crew, while the Kazakh flight had 37 people on board, mostly tourists. 3. Missed instructions: The Kazakh pilot first contacted Delhi ATC when the plane was 23,000 feet high. He was instructed to descend to 15,000 feet. Meanwhile, the Saudi flight was cleared to climb to 14,000 feet. 4. One corridor, two planes: At the time, Delhi had only one air corridor for commercial aircraft. The military used the others. Both jets were on the same path, only separated by 1,000 feet vertically. 5. Ignored orders: A court-led inquiry found that the Kazakh pilot descended below the instructed altitude, crashing into the Saudi jet from below. Investigators confirmed that the ATC had given clear and correct directions. 6. Inquiry by Justice Lahoti: A special panel led by Justice R.C. Lahoti concluded that the accident occurred due to pilot's error, not mechanical fault. The Kazakh aircraft, it found, breached altitude protocol – causing the mid-air collision. The black box, designed to survive catastrophic crashes, confirmed the ATC's version. It ruled out weather or system failure. It pointed to miscommunication and the Kazakh pilot's deviation from assigned altitude.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
Air India flight crashes in Ahmedabad: 28 years ago, another tragedy in the skies
The Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner's crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday has brought back memories of a similar tragedy that occurred 28 years and 7 months ago. In the furthest reaches of India's aviation history, what comes close to this disastrous air crash is the Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision that claimed the lives of 345 people, including the crew. On November 12, 1996, Saudia Flight 763, which had taken off from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport and was en route to Dhahran in Saudi Arabia, collided with Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907, which was making its descent to Delhi after flying out of Chimkent in Kazakhstan. No one on board either flight survived the crash. The government set up a Court of Inquiry led by then Delhi High Court's Justice R C Lahoti. The Commission, which released its report the following year, determined that the cause of the crash was the Kazakh pilots' lack of understanding of instructions issued by the approach controller. It further attributed this lack of understanding to 'inadequate knowledge of the English language of the Kazak pilot' and 'casual attitude of the crew'. What actually occurred in the airspace above the small hamlet in Haryana was pieced together in the days following the crash. According to a report in the New York Times, a day after the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) provided a transcript of the black box recordings to establish a chronology of the crash. On that fateful day, the approach controller had instructed the Saudi flight to ascend to 14,000 feet and maintain the level, whereas the descending flight en route from Chimkent was instructed to remain at 15,000 feet. While both flights confirmed receiving the instructions, the approach controller had no way of ascertaining that they were following the instructions. At the time, the Delhi airport only had a primary radar; controllers could only see on their screen the various aircraft present in the airspace without any information on altitude or speed. Additionally, in those days at the Delhi airport, for both arriving and departing commercial jets, there was only a single corridor. The other corridors were reserved for the military. Which means, the Kazakh and Saudi jets were flying towards each other in the same air corridor from opposite directions. This was why the approach controller had instructed the Kazakh crew to maintain 15,000 feet and the Saudi crew to maintain 14,000 feet to ensure the mandatory 1,000-feet separation between the jets when they crossed paths. To be sure, the Lahoti Commission report concluded that the single air corridor did not contribute to the accident. As the two flights approached each other, the Kazakh flight's radio operator noticed that the flight was flying below the instructed altitude and informed the pilot, who went full throttle to rise to the required altitude. As it ascended rapidly, it flew right below the Saudi aircraft and clipped the oncoming aircraft's left wing with its tail. Both aircraft crashed. A US Air Force cargo flight, which was also nearby, saw the entire collision occur and informed the approach controller. When the controller attempted to contact both flights, he received no response. The Civil Aviation Aircraft Accident Summary for the year 1996 recorded that the Saudi aircraft fell near Dhani village in Bhiwani District of Haryana, and the Kazakh aircraft was lying near Birohar village in Rohtak District. The New York Times reporter wrote the day after the crash, 'As he toured the Saudi crash site, Mr Deve Gowda seemed particularly affected by the scattered evidence of the passengers' role as breadwinners abroad. Many of those who died on the Saudi plane, including 215 Indians and 40 Nepalis, had jobs in Saudi Arabia. Although one of the bodies still lying in the wreckage when the Prime Minister arrived was that of an Indian doctor with his stethoscope still poking out of his charred jacket pocket, most of those on the plane were heading for jobs as drivers, cooks and housemaids.' More poignantly, The Indian Express' reporter, Ashwini Sarin, wrote from the scene of the crash, 'But this, the record books say, is the third worst disaster in the history of aviation. And yet when I look up to where it all happened, the site of the accident, I see nothing. Just a few stars shivering high above… there are no survivors here, nobody to tell me what happened at that fateful moment, no one to tell the story.'
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- General
- Business Standard
Plane crash in Ahmedabad: A list of major fatal air accidents in India
The Air India plane crash near Ahmedabad, with 242 onboard, on June 12 has once again raised serious concerns about aviation safety in India. The tragic incident adds to a long list of deadly air disasters the country has witnessed over the years. From mid-air collisions to crashes on table-top runways, several such accidents have resulted in heavy loss of life and exposed critical safety lapses. Here's a look at some of the deadliest plane crashes in India's aviation history. 1. Ahmedabad Air India Crash (June 12, 2025) An Air India flight bound for London crashed shortly after takeoff near Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, coming down in the residential area of Meghani. The plane, carrying 242 onboard, burst into flames moments later. 2. 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision The 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision remains one of the deadliest mid-air collisions in India's aviation history, claiming 349 lives. On November 12, 1996, Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 763, a Boeing 747 from Delhi to Dhahran, and Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907, an Ilyushin Il-76 approaching Delhi from Chimkent, collided over the village of Charkhi Dadri, about 100 kilometres west of Delhi. Both aircraft were operating under the control of Delhi air traffic, with the Saudi flight cleared to climb to 14,000 ft and the Kazakh flight instructed to descend to 15,000 ft. The investigation, led by Justice RC Lahoti, found that the Kazakh crew descended below their assigned altitude, reaching 14,000 ft, which led to the collision. Contributing factors included poor English language proficiency among the Kazakh pilots, reliance on a radio operator for communication, and inadequate crew resource management. The Kazakh aircraft's tail clipped the Saudi jet's wing, causing both planes to break apart and crash, with no survivors. ???? | #OTD in 1996: The deadliest mid-air collision in history. Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 763 (Boeing 747-100B) and Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907 (Ilyushin Il-76) collide over Charkhi Dadri, all 349 on both planes die. The Ilyushin had not maintained its assigned altitude. — Air Crash Investigation (@AirCrash_) November 12, 2021 3. Air India Express Flight 1344 (August 7, 2020) Air India Express Flight 1344 crashed on August 7, 2020, while attempting to land at Kozhikode International Airport amid heavy rain. The Boeing 737, operating as a repatriation flight under the Vande Bharat Mission, overshot the table-top runway, fell down a 110-ft embankment, and broke into multiple pieces. Of the 190 people on board, 21 — including both pilots — lost their lives, and over 75 suffered serious injuries. The investigation cited pilot error, unstable approach, and adverse weather as primary causes, with the captain landing beyond the safe touchdown zone despite calls for a go-around 4. Air India Express Flight 812 (May 22, 2010) Air India Express Flight 812, a Boeing 737-800 from Dubai to Mangalore, crashed on May 22, 2010, during landing at Mangalore International Airport. The aircraft overshot the table-top runway after an unstabilised approach, despite repeated 'go-around' calls from the first officer. The plane plunged down a hillside and burst into flames, killing 158 of the 166 people on board — making it one of India's deadliest air disasters and the first fatal accident for Air India Express. 5. Alliance Air Flight 7412 (July 17, 2000) Alliance Air Flight 7412 crashed on July 17, 2000, while approaching Patna airport. The Boeing 737-2A8 nose-dived into a residential area, killing 60 people, including five on the ground. The accident was caused by pilot error: the crew failed to follow standard operating procedure, kept engines at idle, and attempted a go-around after a stall warning instead of executing stall recovery. The aircraft stalled, lost altitude, and crashed, destroying two houses. Only a few passengers seated at the rear survived. The crash highlighted serious lapses in crew coordination and adherence to procedures. 6. Indian Airlines Flight 605 (February 14, 1990) Indian Airlines Flight 605, an Airbus A320, crashed on February 14, 1990, while attempting to land at Bangalore, killing 92 of the 146 people onboard. The aircraft descended below the correct glide path in 'open descent' mode, with engines at idle, due to pilot error in mode selection and delayed response to altitude warnings. The plane struck a golf course and embankment before bursting into flames. Investigators ruled out mechanical failure, attributing the accident to crew error and lack of situational awareness. 7. Indian Airlines Flight 113 (October 19, 1988) Indian Airlines Flight 113, a Boeing 737-200, crashed on October 19, 1988, while approaching Ahmedabad Airport from Mumbai, killing 133 of the 135 people onboard, including all six crew members. The aircraft struck trees and a high-tension pylon before crashing 2.5 km from the runway in poor visibility. Investigations found the primary cause was pilot error — descending below safe altitude without sighting the runway — compounded by inadequate visibility reports from airport authorities. Only two passengers survived initially, but both later succumbed to their injuries, making it one of India's deadliest aviation disasters
