What happened
During an aerial survey mission in the foothills east of the Velikonda range in Andhra Pradesh, India, an aircraft struck a rock formation on a hillside. At the time of the incident, the pilot was operating at an altitude of 2,000 feet. Weather reports indicated cloudy conditions with a cloud base ranging between 600 and 750 meters, though it is believed that lower cloud patches were covering certain hilltops in the area.
In an attempt to descend below the cloud layer for visual flight conditions, the pilot likely executed a left-hand turn to avoid the Nisam Konda peak, which reaches an elevation of 2,181 feet. During this maneuver, the aircraft struck a protruding rock face on the neighboring Podille Konda hill. The impact resulted in a post-crash fire.
Findings
Investigations into the accident suggest that the primary factor was the pilot's inability to identify an obstacle due to visibility issues. A patch of low-lying cloud likely obscured a jutting rock face on the adjacent terrain, preventing the pilot from seeing the hazard in time to perform necessary evasive maneuvers.