What happened
On August 27, 2019, a Cessna Citation 560XL, registration VT-AVV, was performing a non-scheduled flight from Delhi to the Dhanipur Airstrip in Aligarh. The flight, operated by M/s Air Charter Services Pvt Ltd, carried two crew members and four passengers. The weather conditions at the time were well within Visual Flight Rules (VFR) requirements.
During the final approach to runway 11, the aircraft was flying a straight-in path. As the aircraft descended below 100 feet AGL, the crew heard a loud bang from the left side. The aircraft immediately experienced a 20-degree bank to the left. The pilot attempted to level the aircraft, but the main landing gear became entangled with overhead powerlines crossing the extended portion of the runway. This caused the aircraft to impact the ground short of the runway threshold and veer off the paved surface. Following the impact, the left wing of the aircraft caught fire, leading to the total destruction of the airframe. All six occupants evacuated the aircraft without injury.
The investigation
AAIB India investigators examined the wreckage, flight recorder data, and operational procedures. The investigation established that the aircraft's main landing gear struck a set of powerlines positioned approximately 23 feet above the ground, roughly 594 feet ahead of the runway 11 threshold. The investigation also noted that while the operator had sought landing permission from the local administration, no fire or crash tender services were available at the airfield at the time of the accident; the first fire tender arrived 45 minutes after the impact.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the entanglement of the main landing gear with powerlines crossing the extended runway area.
- The crew chose to land on runway 11 for a straight-in approach, despite company Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) suggesting that runway 29 was preferable given the prevailing winds.
- There were no visible markings or signage to alert the crew to the presence of the powerlines or the ongoing construction work on the runway extension.
- A lack of adherence to the operator's specific SOP for unmanned airfields contributed to the event.
- The absence of immediate emergency fire services contributed to the intensity of the post-crash fire.