What happened
On October 19, 1988, an Indian Airlines Boeing 737, registration VT-EAH, was performing a scheduled flight from Bombay to Ahmedabad. During the early morning hours, the flight crew maintained contact with Ahmedabad Approach Control. Prior to arrival, several weather updates were provided to the cockpit, including a special report indicating that visibility had decreased from 6 km to 3 km.
At approximately 0632LT, the aircraft received clearance to descend to FL150, followed by instructions to descend further to FL55 at 25 DME. Shortly after, the crew was notified of a new weather update showing visibility had dropped to 2 km due to haze, though winds remained calm. The flight crew correctly acknowledged the QNH and subsequently elected to execute a localiser-DME approach for runway 23.
After reporting overhead the Ahmedabad VOR, the aircraft performed an outbound maneuver before turning back inbound. Communication with air traffic control was lost at 0650:53. The wreckage of the Boeing 737 was discovered at 0653LT in a paddy field located 2,540 meters from the threshold of runway 23, positioned on the extended centerline. The impact and subsequent post-impact fire destroyed the aircraft. Of the 135 people on board, there were 133 fatalities and two individuals sustained serious injuries.
Findings
The investigation determined that the flight crew failed to adhere to established operational procedures while operating in conditions of reduced visibility. The primary contributing factor was the failure of both the pilot and copilot to follow approved directives and instructions during the approach.