Accident Overview
On 6 May 2021, a Beechcraft Super King Air B200GT aircraft, registration VT-MPQ, operated by the Directorate of Aviation, Government of Madhya Pradesh, was involved in an accident while performing a flight from Indore Airport to Gwalior. The flight crew consisted of an ATPL holder as pilot-in-command and a CPL holder as co-pilot. One passenger was also on board.
Flight Details
The flight departed from Runway 25 at Indore and climbed to flight level 270 (FL270). During descent into Gwalior, the crew coordinated with Delhi and Gwalior air traffic control. Approaching Gwalior, ATC advised that Runway 24L was in use and later inquired if the crew wished to conduct a VOR approach for the opposite Runway 06R. The crew requested a visual approach for Runway 06R at night, and ATC cleared them to descend to 2,700 feet. The crew reported the field in sight at 25 nautical miles and requested a right base for Runway 06R. They were cleared to circuit altitude and then cleared to land after calling turning right base with the field visual.
Circumstances of the Accident
Just before landing and short of the threshold, the main landing gear collided with a raised arrester barrier. The aircraft came to a halt on Runway 06R just beyond the threshold markings at 1515 UTC. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, but there was no post-impact fire. The two crew members and the passenger received minor to serious injuries.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The official investigation determined the probable cause: The pilot-in-command (PF) carried out a visual approach at night and knowingly deviated below the visual approach path profile (3°) while disregarding the PAPI indications, causing the aircraft to collide with the raised arrester barrier. A lack of assertiveness on the part of the co-pilot (PM) was also noted. Contributing factors included non-compliance with the standard operating procedure for the "Change of Runway Checklist" by ATC staff, which left the arrester barrier in a raised position; non-essential conversation by the flight crew during final approach, causing distraction and delayed sighting of the barrier; systemic failures at Gwalior Air Force Base to rectify arrester barrier position indicator lights and integral panel lights in a timely manner; absence of a robust alternate procedure when those lights were unserviceable; and failure of the airbase to install red obstacle lights on the arrester barrier poles as required by DGCA regulations.