What happened
On October 19, 1988, a Vayudoot Fokker F27, registration VT-DMC, was performing a scheduled flight from Silchar to Guwahati. The aircraft departed from Silchar runway 06 at approximately 08:10 local time under weather conditions characterized by rain and visibility of 3 km. Following takeoff, the crew communicated their progress to Silchar tower, providing an estimated arrival time in Guwahati of 08:50.
At 08:23, the aircraft reported passing Point Hotel at flight level 105. After transitioning to Guwahati control, the flight indicated they were passing through flight level 55 and intended to use the ILS for their descent. The crew began a procedure turn at 08:46. Shortly thereafter, the pilot notified air traffic control that the glide path was not being intercepted. Despite reporting the outer marker inbound at 08:48, communication with ATC was lost at 08:53.
The aircraft subsequently struck a hill located more than 10 nautical miles from Guwahati Airport. The impact and subsequent fire resulted in 34 fatalities, including all crew members on board.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing factors. The pilot-in-command failed to follow established procedures, specifically by attempting to follow the localizer bar during the outbound leg, which led to spatial disorientation. This error caused a failure to properly monitor the middle and outer locators, resulting in the aircraft descending below 2750 feet without having intercepted the glide slope or localizer.
Additionally, air traffic control provided an improper clearance by instructing the pilot to report the outer marker inbound after the crew had already noted the absence of the glide path. This instruction contributed to the pilot's confusion during the approach. Investigators ruled out mechanical failure or sabotage as causes for the crash.