Indian Airlines Flight 440
| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 31 May 1973 |
| Summary | Controlled flight into terrain |
| Site | New Delhi, India |
| Passengers | 58 |
| Crew | 7 |
| Fatalities | 48 |
| Survivors | 17 |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 737-2A8 |
| Aircraft name | Saranga |
| Operator | Indian Airlines |
| Registration | VT-EAM |
| Flight origin | Madras Airport, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Destination | Palam International Airport, New Delhi, India |
Indian Airlines Flight 440 was a flight on 31 May 1973 that crashed while on approach to Palam Airport killing 48 of the 65 passengers and crew on board.
The crash
Flight 440 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu to New Delhi. A Boeing 737 named Saranga was used for the flight. As Flight 440 approached Palam International Airport in driving dust and a rainstorm, the aircraft struck high tension wires during a NDB approach with visibility below minima. The aircraft crashed and caught fire.[1] 48 of the 65 passengers and crew on board Flight 440 perished in the accident.[2] Rescue officials said the survivors were in the front of the aircraft.[3]
Among the dead was Indian Minister of Iron and Steel Mines, Mohan Kumaramangalam. Kumaramangalam was a confidant of Indira Gandhi, who was India's Prime Minister at the time. Many of the dead were unidentifiable, but Kumaramangalam's body was identified by a pen and a hearing aid he wore.[4]
Cause
Investigators determined the cause of Indian Airlines Flight 440 crashing to be crew error in letting the aircraft descend below glidepath.[5]
See also
- Japan Airlines Flight 471, another aviation disaster that took place at Palam International Airport less than a year prior to Indian Airlines Flight 440.
References
External links
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