Fatal aircraft accident near Safdarjung Airport

5 fatalities • New Delhi-Safdarjung, India • Landing (descent or approach)

A training flight involving a VT-CFB aircraft crashed north of Safdarjung Airport, resulting in five total fatalities.

What happened

On the morning of the incident, the VT-CFB, an aircraft type performing a training mission, departed from Safdarjung Airport at roughly 08:32 local time. During the flight, the crew established radio contact at 08:39, reporting their position approximately 20 miles north of the airport while maintaining an altitude of 5,000 feet. Following this transmission, all communication with the aircraft ceased.

At approximately 09:15, the aircraft went down roughly 10 miles north of Safdarjung Airport. The impact and subsequent fire completely destroyed the plane. The accident resulted in five fatalities: both individuals on board the aircraft died, and three people residing in a nearby labor colony hut were also killed by the crash.

Findings

Investigations determined that the primary reason for the accident was that the pilot entered an unintentional spin at an altitude that provided insufficient time to regain control of the aircraft.

Probable cause

The aircraft entered an unrecoverable spin at a low altitude.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1957-03-13 Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) accident near New Delhi-Safdarjung, India?

A training flight involving a VT-CFB aircraft crashed north of Safdarjung Airport, resulting in five total fatalities.

Were there any fatalities in the 1957-03-13 Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) accident?

The accident was fatal, resulting in 5 fatalities.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1957-03-13 involved a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3), registration VT-CFB, operated by Indian Airlines, at New Delhi-Safdarjung, India.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The aircraft entered an unrecoverable spin at a low altitude.

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