Accident Overview
An aircraft conducting an aerial survey sortie in the foothills east of the Velikonda range in Andhra Pradesh, India, collided with a jutting rock face on Podille Konda and caught fire. According to eyewitnesses and weather information, the prevailing weather over the survey region was cloudy with a cloud base varying from 600 to 750 meters. It was considered quite probable that the cloud base was lower over the particular area, covering the hilltops.
Sequence of Events
The pilot was flying at an altitude of 2,000 feet upon reaching the survey area. Most likely, the pilot executed a left-hand turn to circumvent the highest peak in the area, Nisam Konda (2,181 feet high), and then began a descent with the aim of getting below the cloud base for visual flight. During this descent, the pilot did not see a jutting out rock face on the adjacent hill, Podille Konda, which was probably obscured by a patch of low cloud. The aircraft subsequently collided with the rock face and caught fire.
Probable Cause
The official investigation attributed the cause of the accident to the collision of the aircraft with a jutting rock on the top of a hill, which was not noticed by the pilot in time to take evasive action as it was probably obscured by a patch of low-lying cloud.