Flight 106 Accident: Loss of Power and Field Landing (VT-DIC)

Flight Details and Initial Incident Flight 106 departed from HAL Airport, Bangalore, for Bombay at 1555LT on a scheduled domestic flight. The aircraft carried 6 crew members and 30 passengers. After a normal takeoff and climb, the aircraft was cruising at flight level 85 with engines operating at 29 inches of manifold pressure and 2050 rpm. BMEP gauges were not fitted. ## Loss of Power and Emergency Response At 16:30 hours, the flight reported its position 100 miles out from Bangalore and estimated reaching the Bombay FIR boundary at 17:00. The flight was uneventful until about 16:50 when the pilot heard a loud thud, which he initially believed to be an engine misfiring. This was followed by the aircraft losing height rapidly. The pilot disengaged the autopilot and trimmed the aircraft for manual flight. ## Attempted Recovery and Landing To maintain height, the pilot applied climb power and then METO power by moving the pitch and throttle controls forward. Although the manifold pressure increased first to 35 inches and then to 40 inches, the engine speed remained constant at 2050 rpm, and the aircraft continued to lose height at a descent rate of 1500 feet per minute. Cylinder head temperatures were not apparently noted. The pilot eventually made a wheels-up landing in a ploughed field at an elevation of 1900 feet. ## Outcome All 36 occupants were evacuated safely, while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.