Air India Flight 403
 The aircraft involved in the accident, seen in Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in 1976. | |
| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 21 June 1982 |
| Summary | Pilot error |
| Site | Sahar International Airport, Mumbai, India |
| Passengers | 99 |
| Crew | 12 |
| Fatalities | 17 |
| Survivors | 94 |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 707–437 |
| Aircraft name | Gouri Shankar |
| Operator | Air India |
| Registration | VT-DJJ |
| Flight origin | Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Kuala Lumpur |
| Stopover | Madras International Airport, Madras (now Chennai) |
| Destination | Sahar International Airport, Bombay (now Mumbai) |
Air India Flight 403 was a scheduled Air India passenger flight that crashed at Sahar International Airport in Bombay, India on 21 June 1982. It was probably caused by miscalculated altitude in a heavy rainstorm.
Accident
On 21 June 1982 Air India Flight 403, a Boeing 707–437 (registered VT-DJJ) called Gauri Shankar coming from Kuala Lumpur International Airport via Madras (now Chennai) crashed after a heavy landing during a rainstorm.[1] The fuselage exploded after starting a late go-around. 111 occupants were on the aircraft. 2 of 12 crew members and 15 of 99 passengers were killed in the crash.[2][3]
Investigation
The Indian board of inquiry determined the probable cause of the crash to be "Deliberate reduction of engine power by the pilot 12 seconds prior to first impact due to altitude unawareness resulting in a high rate of descent, very heavy landing and the undershooting of the aircraft by 1300 feet."[4]
Flight number
While it is a custom to retire flight numbers after a fatal crash, Air India continues to use the AI403 flight designation on the New Delhi (DEL) to Bengaluru (BLR) route which is normally operated by an Airbus A320-200. AI403 was also used as a training flight starting in September 2012 for their new Boeing 787-8.
References
- ↑ Mendis, Sean (26 July 2004). "Air India : The story of the aircraft". Airwhiners.net. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
- ↑ Accident Database: Accident Synopsis 06221982
- ↑ Fatal Events Since 1970 for Air India
- ↑ Aircraft accident Boeing 707–437 VT-DJJ Bombay-Santacruz Airport