Chennai | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

En route to Madras, the primary hydraulic system failed. The crew failed to identify the failure properly and after touchdown at Madras Airport, the brake systems were partially inoperative. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the airplane overran, struck obstacles, lost its undercarriage and came to a halt. All 31 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Failure of the primary hydraulic system in flight due a wrong installed gasket.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-DK in Nagpur: 13 killed

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1953 at 0325 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

VT-CHF

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Nagpur – Madras

MSN:

11810

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft started its take-off run and became airborne in the normal manner somewhere near the intersection of runways 27 and 33. The captain of another aircraft who had moved to the beginning of runway 27 for his turn for take off, watched the take-off of the aircraft and noticed that it became airborne normally but swung to the left when at a height of about 10 or 15 feet. It then climbed steeply on a straight course until it had well passed the end of the runway, and reached a height of about 100 to 150 feet. Thereafter it turned sharply to the left, lost height and crashed in a field located 4,000 feet from the runway. All 10 passengers and three crew members were killed. The captain Desmond Arthur James Cartner was the only survivor.

Probable cause:

Loss of critical height during a steep left hand turn, with the undercarriage down, executed by the pilot at an unsafe altitude in an attempt to return to the aerodrome, after experiencing a temporary loss of power of the left engine soon after getting airborne. A false right engine fire warning precipitated the attempt at a forced landing. The following findings were reported by the Calcutta High Court:
- The port engine of the plane lost power after getting air-borne causing a swing and that it was due to defective supervision and check up,
- The swing corrected itself when the port engine revived again,
- In spite of failure of the port engine and/or correction thereof, the Captain and/or Pilots in charge did not follow the ordinary and usual procedure under such circumstances, namely, did not throttle back the engine and land straight ahead though there was sufficient length of runway available in front, to land and pull up even with the wheels down and certainly with the wheels up,
- Even though the engine revived, the fact that the gear was down was overlooked by both the pilots,
- A false starboard engine fire warning precipitated the attempt at forced landing obviously on account of defective supervision and check up,
- The lack of sufficient intensive checks for emergency procedures during the past twelve months preceding the accident which it is alleged, if carried out, might have given the pilot confidence, apart from practice enabling him to deal coolly with an emergency of this nature.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK in New Delhi: 9 killed

Date & Time: Apr 30, 1952

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

VT-AUN

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Madras – New Delhi

MSN:

13405

YOM:

1944

Location:

New Delhi-Safdarjung

National Capital Territory of Delhi

Country:

India

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While descending to New Delhi-Safdarjung Airport, the pilot-in-command made a last turn to the left to join the approach path when the left engine failed. The airplane stalled and crashed in a field, killing all nine occupants.

Probable cause:

On account of the inclined attitude of the plane at the critical period during a steep turn of some duration, the port engine very likely became starved of fuel, as it was being fed from the port main tank which unlike the starboard which had more than adequate supply, at the time contained only about 18 gallons of petrol, a quantity inadequate to feed the engine in that position.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-70-DL in Nagpur: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1952 at 0223 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

VT-AXE

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Madras – Nagpur

MSN:

19160

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The final approach to Nagpur-Sonegaon Airport was completed by night and limited visibility. On final, the aircraft was too low and hit trees, banked left and crashed about 700 meters short of runway 27. A passenger and both pilots were killed while 14 other occupants were injured.

Probable cause:

Wrong approach configuration on part of the flying crew who decided to pass below the glide and continue the approach at an insufficient height. A wrong altimeter setting was considered as a contributory factor, the crew continued the approach in QNH mode instead of QFE.

Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed C-60-LO LodeStar II in Madras

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1944 at 0815 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed C-60 LodeStar

Operator:

Registration:

EW983

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

18-2138

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

During the take off run, the right engine lost power and the aircraft started to turn to the right. The pilot tried to correct this but his reaction was excessive so the aircraft turn left and veered off runway, rolling towards the airport building. The pilot immediately retracted the gear so the aircraft sank and slid for several yards before coming to rest. While there was no casualties, the aircraft was written off.

Probable cause:

Power loss on one engine during take off followed by a wrong reaction on part of the crew.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.83 Fox Moth in Madras

Date & Time: Oct 3, 1935

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.83 Fox Moth

Operator:

Registration:

VT-AEJ

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Madras - Madras

MSN:

4071

YOM:

1933

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The pilot was performing a local solo training flight out from Madras Airport. The single engine aircraft crashed upon landing for unknown reason and was damaged beyond repair. The pilot was injured.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.80 Puss Moth in Chowtapalem: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 25, 1935

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.80 Puss Moth

Operator:

Rajah IV Krishna Rao

Registration:

VT-ABU

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Madras – Hyderabad

MSN:

2124

YOM:

1930

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Madras to Hyderabad, the airplane suffered a wing failure. It entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a farmland located in Chowtapalem. All three occupants were killed.
Crew:
Ernest Norman Victor Everett, pilot.
Passengers:
Rajah IV Krishna Rao,
H. J. Carter.

Probable cause:

Wing failure in flight.