Accident Sequence
The aircraft departed Amritsar at 1115 LT on a scheduled domestic flight to Srinagar with 29 persons on board. Seven minutes after takeoff, the crew reported the aircraft's position 25 miles from Amritsar. No further communication was received. Shortly after 1200, a telephone report indicated that the aircraft had crashed in a field near Sarna railway station, about five miles west of Pathankot.
Eyewitness Accounts
Eyewitnesses observed the aircraft execute a left turn, after which it went out of control and rapidly lost altitude. The aircraft then assumed a climbing attitude, broke apart in the air, and crashed to the ground, catching fire upon impact. All 29 occupants were killed.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation determined that the accident resulted from structural failure of the aircraft in flight, caused by overstressing following a loss of control. The loss of control was attributed to improper rigging of the rudder bungee system, a component designed to prevent the rudder of the Hiper Dakota from reversing or locking during yawed turns or when encountering a severe side gust. The investigation equally considered that malfunctioning or improper operation of the autopilot may have initiated a yaw and exacerbated the rudder's tendency to lock.