Indian Airlines Flight 171

Indian Airlines Flight 171

An Indian Airlines Caravelle, sister ship to the accident aircraft
Accident
Date	12 October 1976
Summary	In-flight fire due to an uncontained engine failure
Site	Bombay-Santacruz Airport, Bombay, India
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Sud Aviation Caravelle
Operator	Indian Airlines
Registration	VT-DWN
Flight origin	Bombay-Santacruz Airport
Destination	Madras Airport
Passengers	89
Crew	6
Fatalities	95
Survivors	0

Indian Airlines Flight 171 was a Caravelle that crashed while attempting an emergency landing at Bombay Airport on 12 October 1976 after suffering an uncontained engine failure, killing all 95 people on board. Metal fatigue in the No. 2 engine's 10th stage high-pressure compressor disk had caused it to disintegrate,^[1] the resulting fragments severed fuel lines causing fuel to leak into the engine and ignite causing an uncontrolled fire that eventually affected control surfaces leading to a loss of control.

The crash[]

Flight 171 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Bombay (Mumbai) to Madras (Chennai). A Boeing aircraft was originally supposed to make the flight but it developed engine trouble and was replaced with a Sud Aviation Caravelle.^[2] Shortly after takeoff from runway 27, Flight 171 suffered a No. 2 engine failure. The crew of Flight 171 immediately turned back to attempt an emergency landing on Bombay Airport's runway 09. With its undercarriage down approximately 1000 yards from the end of the runway and while at an altitude of 300 feet, the aircraft suffered a loss of control and plummeted into the ground. Everyone on board Flight 171 perished in the accident.^[3][4]

Cause[]

A fatigue crack in the tenth stage compressor disc caused a power plant failure which was followed by the bursting of the compressor casing and the cutting of fuel lines that spanned the structure. This caused an intense in-flight fire in the engine bay. It is believed the fire consumed the Caravelle's supply of hydraulic fluid and this was the cause of the aircraft going out of control.^[5]

Notable victims[]

South Indian actress Rani Chandra died in the accident. Indian actor Jitender was also supposed to board the airline but cancelled it. The actor said that because it was Karwa Chauth, his wife asked him to delay the trip, but Jeetendra decided to head to the airport anyway. After reaching the airport, he realised that the flight was late and decided to go back home to help his wife break her fast. However, Shobha didn't let him leave for the airport again, and hours later he found out that the plane he was supposed to travel in burst into flames mid-air.^[6]

Hindi film actor and producer also died in this plane crash.^[7]

References[]

External links[]

• Indian Airlines Flight 171 at AirDisaster.com^[usurped!]