Ahmedabad plane crash brings back grim memories of past air disasters in India

A Londonbound Air India aircraft with 242 people onboard crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday The mishap has brought back the grim memories of previous aviation disasters in IndiaFrom major midair collisions to fatal crashes due to bad weather conditions to runways overshooting at tabletop airports the country has witnessed several aviation tragedies over the decadesHere is the chronology of Indiarsquos most catastrophic air accidentsAir India Express Flight 1344 2020The Air India Express Flight 1344 skidded off the runway while landing at Kozhikode International Airport on August 7 2020 during the Covid19 pandemic The flight was operating as part of the Vande Bharat repatriation mission Owing to heavy rainfall the aircraft overshot the wet tabletop runway and plunged into a valley and split into two Of the 190 people on board 21 passengers including two pilots had lost their lives in the incidentAir India Express Flight 812 2010While landing at the Mangaluru International Airport in Karnataka Air India Express Flight 812 overshot the runway on May 22 2010 The Boeing 737800 flight had arrived from Dubai It overshot the tabletop runway and crashed into a gorge bursting into flames killing 158 passengers The devastating crash drew heightened attention to the safety of Indiarsquos tabletop airports and the procedures followed during landings in challenging weather conditionsAlliance Air Flight 7412 2000In a densely populated region of Patna Bihar an Alliance Air Flight 7412 crashed during an attempt to land on July 17 2000 The Boeing 737200 experienced a stall because of low altitude and reported improper handling during the final landing This accident claimed the lives of 60 passengers including five on ground The accident prompted upgrades to approach procedures at smaller urban airportsCharkhi Dadri midair collision 1996On November 12 1996 349 people were killed in what became Indias most devastating aviation disaster The tragedy occurred when Saudia Flight 763 a Boeing 747 and Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907 an Ilyushin Il76 collided midair near Charkhi Dadri in Haryana The accident was the result of a communication failure and the Kazakh crew descending below their assigned altitude Following the incident India introduced significant aviation safety measures including mandating the installation of Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems TCAS on all commercial aircraftIndian Airlines Flight 605 1990The Indian Airlines Flight 605 crashed on February 14 1990 while landing in Bengalurus HAL Airport killing 92 of the 146 people on board The Airbus A320 a relatively new aircraft in India at the time descended too low and hit the ground short of the runway skidding onto a golf course According to the investigation the pilot was unfamiliar with the updates digital cockpit of the A320 contributed to the tragic accidentIndian Airlines Flight 113 1988Owing to poor visibility the Indian Airlines Flight 113 crashed on October 19 1988 while landing at Ahmedabad Airport The crash claimed the lives of 133 passengers out of 135 people on board of the flight arriving from Mumbai Investigation revealed that the pilot miscalculate the landing due to inadequate weather information and procedural lapses by air traffic controlAir India Flight 855 1978The Dubaibound Air India Flight 855 plunged into the Arabian Sea on January 1 1978 shortly taking off from Mumbai claiming the lives of 213 passengers on board The crash occurred within 101 seconds after the flight took off when the caption misinterpreted the aircraftrsquos orientation due to faulty Attitude Director Indicator The crash took place in nighttime conditions over the sea contributing to the crews spatial disorientationIndian Airlines Flight 440 1973The Indian Airlines Flight 440 crashed on May 31 1973 while landing at Delhis Palam Airport The Boeing 737200 experienced severe weather and got struck by hightension wires just short of the runway 48 died out of the 65 passengers onboard Among the dead was prominent Indian politician Mohan Kumaramangalam The crash underscored the need for improved weather radar at Indian airportsWith inputs from PTI