Departure and Diversion
The four-engine aircraft departed from Chandigarh on a flight to Leh, carrying 98 passengers along with soldiers and family members, totaling 102 occupants. During descent to Leh, the crew encountered poor weather conditions characterized by a snowstorm. The captain executed a 180-degree turn to return to Chandigarh, as landing at Leh Airport was deemed impossible.
Collision Sequence
Minutes after the turn, while cruising in zero visibility at an altitude of 22,000 feet, the aircraft struck the slope of a snow-covered mountain located near the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh.
Search and Recovery
As the aircraft failed to return to Chandigarh, search and rescue (SAR) operations were initiated. These operations were eventually suspended several weeks later when no trace of the aircraft or its 102 occupants had been found. In August 2003, some debris was discovered at an altitude of 5,400 meters in the Dhaka Glacier. In August 2007, three bodies were recovered from the same area.