Accident
An aircraft operating a supply dropping sortie from Mohanbari crashed in mountainous terrain near Damroh. The aircraft took off at 0902 hours Indian standard time. It was in contact with Mohanbari at 1028 hours while over Pasighat, awaiting weather clearance over Damroh. No further contact was made. At approximately 1345 hours, the Duty Officer at Jorhat Control Tower received a message from the Assistant Political Officer, Damroh, reporting that the aircraft had crashed at 1100 hours.
The aircraft carried three flight crew and four ejection crew. Four crew members were killed in the crash. Three survivors were seriously injured, and one subsequently died from injuries. The aircraft sustained damage beyond repair.
Investigation
Official findings stated that while maneuvering at low height in mountainous terrain during the supply dropping mission, the port wing grazed the side of a hill, causing the aircraft to slew and crash. A possible contributory factor was mismanagement of the fuel system, which might have caused temporary loss of engine power and height.