| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 8 March 1994 |
| Summary | Loss of control after takeoff due to pilot error during a simulated engine failure |
| Site | Near Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport, India 28°33′18″N 77°05′02″E / 28.555°N 77.084°E / 28.555; 77.084 |
| Total fatalities | 9 |
| Total injuries | 4 |
| First aircraft | |
.jpg) The 737-200 involved in 1987, while operating for Busy Bee | |
| Type | Boeing 737-200 |
| Operator | Sahara India Airlines |
| Call sign | VICTOR INDIA ALPHA |
| Registration | VT-SIA |
| Flight origin | Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport, India |
| Destination | Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport, India |
| Occupants | 4 |
| Passengers | 0 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Fatalities | 4 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Second aircraft | |
 An Aeroflot Il-86 similar to the one involved | |
| Type | Ilyushin Il-86 |
| Operator | Aeroflot |
| IATA flight No. | SU558 |
| ICAO flight No. | AFL558 |
| Call sign | AEROFLOT 558 |
| Registration | RA-86119 |
| Flight origin | Changi Airport, Singapore |
| Stopover | Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport, India |
| Destination | Sheremetyevo International Airport, Moscow |
| Occupants | 4 |
| Passengers | 0 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Fatalities | 4 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Ground casualties | |
| Ground fatalities | 1 |
| Ground injuries | 4 |
On 8 March 1994, a Sahara India Airlines Boeing 737 crashed shortly after takeoff. The plane slammed into an Aeroflot Ilyushin Il-86, which led to both aircraft being destroyed. All 8 crew members on both planes were killed, along with one person on the ground. There were no passengers on either aircraft during the crash. The cause of the crash was determined to be pilot error.
Aircraft
The aircraft was manufactured for Busy Bee in 1979. It had also made its first flight on April 25, 1979. The aircraft was sold to Sahara India Airlines in October 1993 and was almost 15 years old at the time of the accident. It was equipped with 2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-17 engines.
Flight crew
The flight crew consisted of a flight instructor and three trainee pilots.
Accident
On Tuesday, March 8, 1994, the Boeing 737-200 took off from Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport, India. At the time of the accident, the Boeing 737-200 had completed five normal training exercises and landings. However, during the sixth training exercise, the aircraft climbed to 400–500 feet (120–150 m) when it banked left and crashed at the International Terminal Apron. The wreckage of aircraft hit an Aeroflot Ilyushin Il-86 aircraft, Flight 558, parked on Bay No. 45 as a result of which it also caught fire. All 4 crew members were killed, as well as all 4 crew members inside the Aeroflot Ilyushin Il-86 aircraft. Additionally, an employee of an airport oil company was killed when the plane impacted the tarmac.
Investigation
An investigation by the India Commercial Pilot Association (ICPA) revealed that the accident occurred due to application of wrong rudder by a trainee pilot during engine failure exercise. The flight instructor did not guard or block the rudder control and give clear commands during his role to avoid the application of wrong rudder control by the trainee pilot.
References
- ^ Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 21 June 2020.
- Sabharwal, Y.K. "Accident to Sahara India Airlines B-737-200 Aircraft During the Training Flight on 8.3.1994 at IGI Airport, Delhi". Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Civil Aviation. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
- Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error
- Accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 737 Original
- Accidents and incidents involving the Ilyushin Il-86
- Aviation accidents and incidents in 1994
- Aviation accidents and incidents in India
- Aviation accidents and incidents caused by loss of control
- 1994 disasters in India
- Aeroflot accidents and incidents
- Sahara India Pariwar
- March 1994 events in India