On July 15, 1993, a Beechcraft 300 Super King Air (registration VT-EQM) operated by National Remote Sensing Agency was involved in an aviation accident near Taloja, India during landing or approach. 4 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The probable cause of accident has been attributed to: - The commander of the aircraft having meager flying experience on type and limited instrument flying hours encountering instrument meteorological conditions descended below the ATC cleared height of… This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A National Remote Sensing Agency aircraft crashed on hills near Bombay during approach, killing all four occupants. The probable cause includes pilot error and controller oversight.
Accident Overview
An aircraft operated by the National Remote Sensing Agency, Hyderabad, crashed while on a ferry flight from Ahmedabad to Bombay. The flight carried four occupants, including the pilot-in-command. During the approach to Bombay, the aircraft reported its flight level as 4,000 feet before losing contact with air traffic control. The wreckage was found on hilltops near Taloja village, approximately 11 nautical miles east of Bombay airports. All four occupants sustained fatal injuries, and the aircraft was completely destroyed.
Probable Cause
The investigation attributed the probable cause of the accident to three factors:
The commander, who had limited flying experience on the aircraft type and restricted instrument flying hours, encountered instrument meteorological conditions and descended below the ATC-cleared altitude of 3,700 feet without intercepting the glide slope.
The radar controller failed to effectively monitor the aircraft’s position after advising it to intercept the localizer, a factor that contributed to the accident.
The pilot did not follow established procedures, regulations, and instructions.