What happened
During a nighttime approach to New Delhi-Palam Airport, an aircraft encountered challenging weather conditions characterized by haze and fog that significantly reduced visibility. The flight was being operated with the co-pilot serving as the pilot-in-command. As the aircraft reached approximately 8 km from the runway on final approach, it was noted to be too high on the glide path, maintaining an approach speed greater than 65 knots.
While the flaps were set in a downward position, the aircraft subsequently began to lose both altitude and airspeed. The captain did not intervene during this period of instability. As the plane descended, it struck approach lighting systems and other equipment roughly 460 meters before reaching the runway threshold. This impact caused the aircraft to become uncontrollable, leading to a ground impact that resulted in the separation of all four engines. The aircraft slid several hundred meters across the ground before catching fire. Emergency responders reached the site 18 minutes after the crash, but the wreckage was largely destroyed by flames. All 109 occupants were successfully evacuated, though 40 injuries were reported.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing factors related to crew performance and environmental conditions:
- The flight crew deviated from established published procedures, leading to an unstable approach.
- There was a lack of effective monitoring and supervision by the captain.
- The pilot-in-command exhibited poor flight control.
- Deficiencies were noted in crew coordination and crew resource management.
- Inadequate weather information was available to the crew.
- Reduced visibility caused by haze and fog reached levels as low as 200 feet above the ground, potentially creating optical illusions for the pilots.