What happened
A cargo flight operating from Paris to Chennai, with scheduled stops in Karachi and Bangalore, was conducting an ILS approach to runway 07 when the crew aborted the initial approach. The decision followed indications that the landing gear had not been properly secured. The aircraft was transporting a 66-ton payload consisting of clothing, chemicals, cigarettes, and three automobiles, along with five crew members.
During the approach, the crew observed a red gear light on the forward instrument panel. However, the flight crew incorrectly determined that the gear was down and locked, mistakenly believing the red warning light was a malfunction. They failed to notice that the green indicator for the nose gear was unlit. Although the crew attempted to recycle the gear, they did not utilize the alternate extension method.
Upon attempting a second approach, the aircraft type impacted the runway with the nose gear retracted. The impact caused the nose to strike the pavement, leading the plane to skid for approximately 7,000 feet along the 13,050-foot runway. Following the touchdown, smoke appeared in the cockpit, which quickly escalated into a significant fire in the forward section of the plane. While all 5 fatalities were avoided as the crew evacuated via rope ladders and fire service equipment, the fire could not be contained, resulting in the total destruction of the aircraft.
Findings
The primary factor in the accident was the crew's failure to correctly interpret landing gear indications, specifically misidentifying a red warning light as a false signal and overlooking the lack of a green nose gear light. This led to the decision to proceed with the landing without ensuring the nose gear was properly extended.