22 fatalities

1996-12-24: Hindustan Aeronautics HAL-748 (H1032) — Indian Air Force - Bharatiya Vayu Sena — Dubagunta, India

Dubagunta, IndiaFlight

On December 24, 1996, a Hindustan Aeronautics HAL-748 (registration H1032) operated by Indian Air Force - Bharatiya Vayu Sena was involved in an aviation accident near Dubagunta, India in flight. 22 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: It was determined that an engine failed in flight and later detached, causing the separation of a wing. The failure of the high compressor disk was the consequence of fatigue cracks that were not detected during the last maintenance inspection. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781206420Data APIEditorial standards

A passenger aircraft on a flight from Tambaram to Hyderabad experienced an engine failure, declared an emergency, then entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed near Dubagunta, killing all 22 occupants.

Incident Summary

A passenger aircraft operating a flight from Tambaram to Hyderabad experienced an engine failure while at cruising altitude. The captain declared an emergency and informed air traffic control about the failure. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed near Dubagunta. All 22 occupants on board died in the accident.

Investigation Findings

The official investigation determined that the engine failed in flight and later detached from the aircraft. This detachment caused the separation of a wing, leading to the loss of control and subsequent crash. The root cause of the engine failure was identified as the failure of the high compressor disk, which was the consequence of fatigue cracks. These cracks were not detected during the last maintenance inspection.

Safety Recommendations

The investigation report likely includes recommendations to improve maintenance inspection procedures to detect fatigue cracks in critical engine components. However, no specific recommendations are provided in the source material.

Probable cause

It was determined that an engine failed in flight and later detached, causing the separation of a wing. The failure of the high compressor disk was the consequence of fatigue cracks that were not detected during the last maintenance inspection.