What happened
An aircraft, operated by a commercial crew, departed from Bhopal airport without initial incident. During the climb, approximately 20 nautical miles from the departure point, the flight crew noticed unusual noises accompanied by indicators of high oil temperature and low oil pressure in the left-hand engine. In response to these mechanical indications, the crew decided to return to the airport.
When communicating with Bhopal Air Traffic Control (ATC), the crew attributed their return to turbulence and wind conditions rather than disclosing the mechanical emergency. During the return flight, the crew proceeded to shut down the left-hand engine. The crew requested permission to land on a disused taxiway, but ATC denied this request because the airport lacked a suitable cross runway. Because the true nature of the emergency had not been communicated to controllers, the request for an alternative landing site was not immediately accommodated.
Upon being directed to land on Runway 12, the crew notified ATC that a forced landing might be necessary. The aircraft ultimately performed a forced landing in an agricultural field located roughly 3 nautical miles from Bhopal Airport. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft. The pilot sustained serious injuries, while the co-pilot and the single passenger on board suffered minor injuries.
Findings
- The crew failed to notify ATC of the actual emergency situation, instead reporting wind and turbulence as the reason for returning to the airport.
- The failure to declare an emergency prevented ATC from authorizing an alternative landing strip.