What happened
On 22 December 2015, a Beechcraft Super King Air B-200, registration VT-BSA, was scheduled to fly from IGI Airport in New Delhi to Ranchi. The flight was operated by the BSF Air Wing and carried ten individuals, consisting of two crew members and eight passengers. The passengers were technical personnel traveling with tools and equipment to perform maintenance on a helicopter in Ranchi.
During the pre-flight phase, the aircraft was prepared for departure with a takeoff weight of approximately 5668.85 kg. After receiving taxi clearance, the pilot briefly paused the taxi process for administrative reasons before proceeding. The aircraft was cleared for takeoff from runway 28 under conditions featuring visibility of 800 meters.
Shortly after departing the runway and reaching an altitude of roughly 400 feet AGL, the aircraft began a progressive left turn accompanied by a loss of altitude. The aircraft completed a 180-degree turn before striking trees and hitting the airport's perimeter road while in a left bank attitude. The sequence of impacts continued as the aircraft struck the airport's external boundary wall, hit two trees with its wings, and finally collided with a water treatment plant holding tank. The tail and a section of the fuselage ended up submerged in the tank. A post-impact fire broke out, destroying the portion of the aircraft located outside the tank.
All ten fatalities occurred as a result of the impact and the subsequent fire. The crew members were located in the burnt cockpit area, while the remaining passengers were recovered from the water tank.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a simultaneous loss of altitude and a progressive left turn immediately following takeoff.