India’s aviation has a history that began before the nation had shed off the skin of imperialism imposed on the nation by the British. In recent times, aviation in India has been marked by significant growth and modernization- though the closing of airspace during “Operation Sindoor” was a minor blip. In addition to devastating air disasters, the nation’s aviation history has also seen some staggering hijacks– the longest of which was almost a week-long.
These tragic accidents have resulted in the loss of hundreds of human lives and have also shown the flaws in aviation safety and management. Each of these crashes, like crashes anywhere around the world, has its technical issues, post-investigations, and policy changes. Here are the top 5 deadliest plane crashes in the history of Indian aviation.
5. Indian Airlines Flight 113
Violation of procedure by the pilot leads the aircraft to a crash.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Date & Flight | 19 October 1988 — Indian Airlines Flight IC113 |
| Aircraft | Boeing 737-2A8 (VT-EAH) |
| Route | Mumbai → Ahmedabad, India |
| Accident | Controlled flight into terrain during final approach in poor visibility |
| Casualties | 133 killed; 2 survivors |
On 19 October 1988, a Boeing 737-200 carrying a total of 135 passengers was headed from Mumbai to Ahmedabad. The flight was set to take off at 05:45 IST but was delayed 20 minutes. After takeoff, the flight made contact with Ahmedabad at 6:20 IST and were advised to report at around 1700 ft overhead Ahmedabad VOR. However, by the next five minutes visibility dropped from 6 km to 2 km. While landing, they went for a Localiser-DME approach to runway 23. They had their final contact at 06:50 while reporting turning inbound.
At 06:53 IST, however, the plane struck trees and powerlines and crashed 2.5 km away from the runway near Chiloda Kotarpur village. The major cause of the crash was due to pilot error in violating the procedure and ATC communication. This accident led to the death of 133 passengers. Only 2 people survived the crash. As compensation to the victim’s family, a sum of ₹ 200,000 was paid by Indian Airlines.
Photo: Neil Pinto | Wikimedia Commons
4. Air India Express Flight 812
Crash leads to the death of 158
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Date & Flight | 22 May 2010 — Air India Express Flight IX812 |
| Aircraft | Boeing 737-800 (VT-AXV) |
| Route | Dubai → Mangalore, India |
| Accident | Runway overrun following an unstable approach |
| Casualties | 158 killed; 8 survivors |
On 22 May 2010, a Boeing 737 operated by Air India Express was heading from Dubai International Airport to Mangalore International Airport in Karnataka.
This aircraft is said to have taken off at around 01:00 GST from Dubai. While landing, the pilot reported to the air traffic controller that he was going for an ILS approach. He descended from 8000 feet and overran the runway and went through a 90-meter sand arrestor bed, which did not stop. This caused the plane to run down the steep hill beside the runway and crash into the hill.
This accident led to the death of 158 people. Besides this, 8 lucky people (7 Indian civilians and 1 Bangladeshi) survived, but they had major injuries. Zero crew members survived that incident. The prime minister of India, Manmohan Singh, announced to compensate the family of the dead by ₹200,000 and the injured by ₹50,000 from the Prime Minister’s national relief fund.
Air India flight 855
Everyone on board was killed
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Date & Flight | 1 January 1978 — Air India Flight AI855 |
| Aircraft | Boeing 747-237B “Emperor Ashoka” (VT-EBD) |
| Route | Mumbai → Dubai, UAE |
| Accident | Loss of control shortly after takeoff due to spatial disorientation and instrument malfunction |
| Casualties | 213 killed; no survivors |
On New Year’s. On Day 1978, a Boeing 747 aircraft took off at around 8 pm from Mumbai, India, to Dubai, UAE. The plane carried a total of 190 passengers, including 23 crew members onboard.
According to reports, the flight took off from runway number 27. The flight had to get to an altitude of 8000 ft. It headed 3 km west of the Mumbai airport, descended from about 2000 feet high, and crashed into the sea with a 30-40 degree nose-down pitch. This crash took the lives of all 213 people aboard the aircraft.
According to an article published in The New York Times, the Judge Fitzgerald ruled that:
“.. Captain Kukar had been ”unfit to fly” because he had been taking drugs to control diabetes, had been dieting to help his condition, and had aggravated his medical problems by drinking the night before. The judge also ruled that the co-pilot had been negligent in not watching the dashboard instruments and warning the pilot.”
2. Air India Flight 171
Lucky day for one passenger
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Date & Flight | 12 June 2025 — Air India Flight AI171 |
| Aircraft | Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (VT-ANB) |
| Route | Ahmedabad → London Gatwick, UK |
| Accident | Crashed 32 seconds after takeoff after both engines lost thrust; investigation ongoing |
| Casualties | 260 killed in total; 1 person on board survived |
Air India flight 171 was an international flight that was heading from Ahmedabad to London, UK. It was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that took off from the airport at around 13:38 IST on the 12th of June 2025. The flight took off from runway 23 and it was carrying a total of 242 passengers. The flight crew reported a mayday call just 36 seconds after takeoff due to loss of power and thrust.
The flight descended constantly after take off, and later it crashed into a hostel block of B.J. Medical College in Meghanninagar. After the accident, eyewitnesses from the same area reported seeing a big explosion, which turned into a big fire, and smoke started spreading everywhere.
This accident led to the death of 241 passengers. Miraculously, one passenger survived. Besides the death of passengers, an additional 38+ lives were killed on the ground. After the crash, Tata Group, which is the parent company of Air India, announced that it would provide ₹ 1 crore as compensation to the families of the passengers who had died.
Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 763 and Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907
The deadliest mid-air collision
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Date & Flights | 12 November 1996 — Saudia Flight SV763 & Kazakhstan Airlines Flight KZ1907 |
| Aircraft | Boeing 747-168B & Ilyushin Il-76TD |
| Routes | Delhi → Jeddah & Shymkent → Delhi |
| Accident | Mid-air collision over Charkhi Dadri, attributed to the Kazakh crew’s failure to maintain altitude |
| Casualties | 349 killed; no survivors |
On November 12th, 1996, two flights, one heading from Delhi to Saudi Arabia [Saudi Flight 763, a Boeing 747-168B carrying 312 passengers and 23 crew members] and the other heading from Kazakhstan to Delhi [Kazakhstan Airlines flight 1907 carrying 37 passengers and ten crew members], collided in mid-air at Charkhi Dadri in the state of Haryana. The wings of the aircraft had struck each other. Both planes were out of control and crashed to the ground at a speed of 1,135 km/h.
The major cause of the accident was the failure of Kazakh crews to maintain the correct altitude. According to the Aviation Safety Network.
The investigation identified several factors that contributed to the Kazakh aircraft failing to maintain the assigned altitude. These included weaknesses in communication, crew coordination and cockpit discipline. The main contributing factors were:
- The Kazakh pilot’s limited proficiency in English, which led to misunderstandings or incorrect interpretations of air traffic control instructions.
- Poor airmanship and inadequate Crew Resource Management (CRM) by the Pilot-in-Command, along with shortcomings in cockpit leadership.
- A casual approach to operational duties and insufficient coordination among the crew members.
- The absence of standard altitude and other required cockpit callouts from the crew, reducing the effectiveness of cross-checking and situational awareness.
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