Incident
An Antonov 26 aircraft, operating a ferry flight from Hanoi to Calcutta with a refueling stop at Rangoon, force-landed approximately 28 nautical miles northeast of Calcutta airport. The aircraft sustained damage beyond repair, while all seven occupants escaped uninjured.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft departed Hanoi at 09:00 hours with an estimated time of arrival in Calcutta at 14:50 hours. Upon initial contact with Calcutta air traffic control (ATC), the crew reported minimum fuel on board and requested radar vectors for a straight-in approach. According to the investigation, Calcutta ATC did not pay much attention to the difficulties reported by the aircraft and made no serious attempt to provide radar assistance.
Subsequently, the pilot deviated from the intended track and became lost. The aircraft eventually exhausted its fuel supply and was forced to land in a field 28 nautical miles northeast of Calcutta airport.
Aftermath
All seven occupants exited the aircraft without injury. The Antonov 26 was damaged beyond repair. No further details regarding the cause of the deviation or the adequacy of ATC actions were provided in the source.