India’s deadliest plane crashes: A look back at nation’s most tragic aviation disasters
Ahmedabad: The horrifying Air India plane crash near Ahmedabad airport that claimed at least 133 lives has once again brought to the fore the fragility of air travel and the devastating impact of aviation accidents. As rescue teams continue to recover bodies and tend to survivors from Thursday’s tragedy, the incident joins a grim list of India’s most fatal air disasters. Here's a detailed look at some of the deadliest and most chaotic plane crashes that have occurred in India over the decades — each one etched deeply in the nation’s memory.
Mangalore Air Crash (2010)
Date: May 22, 2010
Flight: Air India Express Flight IX 812
Route: Dubai to Mangalore
Fatalities: 158
The crash at Mangalore International Airport remains one of the most tragic air disasters in Indian history. The Air India Express Boeing 737-800 was carrying 160 passengers and six crew members when it overshot the runway during landing at the table-top airport. Of the 166 people on board, only eight survived.
The aircraft, flying in from Dubai, touched down beyond the runway threshold. The pilot attempted to brake hard, but the plane could not be stopped in time. It plunged off the cliff-like edge of the table-top runway into a wooded gorge and burst into flames.
Reasons Identified:
The official investigation pointed to pilot error as the primary cause. The Serbian captain, who was reportedly asleep for most of the flight, misjudged the landing and ignored repeated warnings from the co-pilot. The aircraft landed too far down the runway, leaving insufficient space to halt safely.
The Mangalore crash raised serious concerns about pilot fatigue, communication in the cockpit, and the safety of table-top runways, which are elevated and offer little margin for error.
Charkhi Dadri Mid-Air Collision (1996)
Date: November 12, 1996
Flights Involved: Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 763 and Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907
Fatalities: 349
This tragic accident near Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, is still remembered as the world’s deadliest mid-air collision.
Saudi Airlines Flight 763, a Boeing 747, had taken off from Delhi and was climbing out of Indian airspace when it collided with a descending Kazakhstan Airlines Ilyushin IL-76, which had been cleared to land at the same airport. The crash killed all 312 passengers on the Saudi flight and all 37 on the Kazakh aircraft.
Reasons Identified:
Investigations revealed that the Kazakh aircraft had descended below its assigned altitude due to miscommunication and limited English proficiency among the crew. At that time, India lacked secondary surveillance radar, and air traffic controllers relied heavily on pilot communication for separation. The tragedy led to the mandatory installation of airborne collision avoidance systems (ACAS) in Indian airspace and a renewed global focus on English proficiency among pilots.
Air India Flight 855 Crash (1978)
Date: January 1, 1978
Flight: Air India Flight 855
Route: Mumbai to Dubai
Fatalities: 213
On the first day of 1978, Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 named Emperor Ashoka, crashed into the Arabian Sea just minutes after takeoff from Mumbai’s Santacruz airport. All 213 people on board were killed.
Reasons Identified:
The official inquiry reported that the captain became disoriented due to a malfunctioning instrument that led him to believe the plane was banking when it wasn’t. He overcorrected, causing the plane to bank sharply to the left and spiral into the sea. Lack of proper coordination among the cockpit crew and spatial disorientation were also cited as contributing factors.
Indian Airlines Flight 491 (Aurangabad Crash, 1993)
Date: April 26, 1993
Flight: Indian Airlines Flight 491
Route: Aurangabad to Mumbai
Fatalities: 55
The Boeing 737 was on a domestic flight when it crashed shortly after takeoff from Aurangabad. As the aircraft attempted to lift off, it hit a truck crossing the runway, causing the wing to break off and the fuel tanks to ignite.
Reasons Identified:
The runway was not adequately secured, and the presence of vehicles on the airstrip indicated severe lapses in airport safety. Poor visibility and delayed rotation during takeoff further contributed to the crash.
Alliance Air Flight 7412 (Patna Crash, 2000)
Date: July 17, 2000
Flight: Alliance Air Flight 7412
Route: Kolkata to Delhi via Patna and Lucknow
Fatalities: 60
The aircraft, a Boeing 737 operated by Alliance Air, crashed while attempting to land at Patna airport. The plane crashed into a residential area near the airport, killing all six crew members and 54 passengers, along with several people on the ground.
Reasons Identified:
The aircraft stalled during a go-around maneuver due to a steep bank and loss of speed. Investigations blamed pilot error, inadequate training, and misjudged approach path as primary reasons.
Air India Flight 182 (Kanishka Bombing, 1985)
Date: June 23, 1985
Flight: Air India Flight 182
Route: Toronto to Mumbai via London and Delhi
Fatalities: 329
Although this crash did not occur on Indian soil, it remains the worst aviation disaster involving an Indian airline and was caused by an act of terrorism. The Boeing 747, known as Kanishka, exploded mid-air due to a bomb planted by Sikh separatists.
The aircraft exploded off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 on board, including 268 Canadian citizens, many of whom were of Indian origin.
Reasons Identified:
Security lapses at Canadian airports allowed the bomb to be placed in checked luggage. The incident prompted a global overhaul of airport security, particularly for international flights.
Ahmedabad Plane Crash (2025)
Date: June 12, 2025
Flight: Air India Flight AI171
Route: Ahmedabad to London Gatwick
Fatalities: At least 133 confirmed (as of last update)
In the most recent addition to this list of aviation tragedies, Air India’s Boeing Dreamliner crashed just minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad airport. The flight was headed to London and carried 242 people, including two pilots and 10 crew members. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Reports suggest the plane crashed into a densely populated area near Meghaninagar. Massive plumes of smoke were visible from the crash site, and rescue operations are underway. Multiple hospitals in the city are on emergency alert, and an investigation team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has been deployed.
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Ballari violence: Were cops made scapegoats to cover political failure?
Bengaluru: Across Karnataka, a serious discussion has begun after the violence in Ballari and the swift action taken against police officers who were on the ground that day. The core question being asked is simple: when law and order fails, why are police officers the first to be shown the door, while political responsibility is quietly pushed aside?
The January 1 clash in Ballari was not a sudden street fight. It was a political confrontation involving supporters of two sitting MLAs. A banner related to the unveiling of a Valmiki statue became the flashpoint. What followed was stone-pelting, firing, and the death of a Congress worker. The situation spiralled within hours.
Within a day, Ballari SP Pavan Nejjur was suspended. Soon after, senior officers were reshuffled. Deputy Inspector General of Police Vartika Katiyar was transferred. No official reason was cited in the notification. But the timing made one thing clear: accountability, at least on paper, had been fixed.
Since then, there has been unease within police circles and political debate outside it.
Unconfirmed reports that Nejjur attempted suicide after his suspension were firmly denied by senior officers and the home minister. They said he was safe, resting, and under stress. Still, the very fact that such reports gained traction says something about the pressure officers feel when action is taken overnight, without public clarity.
Opposition leaders have called Nejjur a scapegoat, pointing out that he had taken charge only hours before the violence. They have asked how an officer can be blamed for a political clash he barely had time to assess. They have also drawn parallels with earlier incidents where police leadership was suspended after tragedies, while political decision-making remained untouched.
However, responding to this criticism, Home Minister G Parameshwara rejected the argument that the suspension was unfair because Nejjur had assumed charge only hours earlier. “It is not important whether he reported to duty on the same day (of incident) or one hour back. Duty is duty. He is not new to the department. IPS officers are trained to handle such situations any time. If he had acted swiftly and promptly, he could have prevented the situation from escalating.” He had said adding that Nejjur did not discharge his duties properly and that this was the reason for his suspension.
Now, fresh and unconfirmed reports suggest that Vartika Katiyar may have met a senior cabinet minister, questioning why she was made to pay the price for a situation that was political in nature. There is no official confirmation of this meeting. But the talk itself has added fuel to the debate.
What is being discussed in the state is not whether the police made mistakes. Many acknowledge that the situation on January 1 was mishandled. A clash earlier in the day was allowed to cool down without strong preventive action. Later, a banner came up near a politically sensitive location. The crowd should not have been allowed to build up. Better anticipation was needed.
At the same time, critics are asking whether the entire burden can be placed on officers when the trigger itself was political rivalry. Who installed the banner? Who mobilised supporters? Who had armed private gunmen present at the spot? These are questions that are still part of the investigation, yet administrative punishment moved faster than political accountability.
This has led to a wider comparison with past incidents, including the Bengaluru stampede after the RCB victory celebrations. There too, police officers were suspended after lives were lost, while decisions taken at higher levels were defended as unavoidable. Many are now saying Ballari fits into the same pattern.
The argument being made is not that the police are blameless. The argument is that responsibility appears to stop at the uniform. When things go wrong, officers are transferred or suspended to send a message. But when the violence is rooted in political rivalry, that message feels incomplete.
Within police ranks, there is also quiet concern about working conditions. Officers say they are expected to manage volatile political situations overnight, often with little room to push back against powerful interests. When things hold, they are invisible. When they collapse, they stand alone.
The Ballari episode has once again exposed this fault line.
For the government, the challenge is larger than one suspension or transfer. The real test is whether it is willing to publicly acknowledge political failures when law and order breaks down, instead of letting the system suggest that the police alone dropped the ball.
For now, what remains is a growing feeling across Karnataka that accountability is selective. And that whenever politics turns violent, the easiest answer is to change the officers, not the decisions that led to the violence in the first place.
