What happened
On 15 February 1966, an Indian Airlines Corporation Caravelle, registration VT-DPP, was operating a scheduled domestic flight from Calcutta Airport to Palam Airport. During the landing phase, the aircraft encountered significant fog, which severely reduced visibility at the destination.
While attempting to land on runway 28, the aircraft undershot the runway. The impact with various obstacles, including a cement pillar, caused the plane to slide on its belly near the runway threshold. A fire broke out following the collision with these obstructions. While all occupants managed to evacuate the aircraft before it was destroyed by flames, the accident resulted in two fatalities among the passengers, along with several injuries and burns.
Findings
The investigation concluded that the primary reason for the undershoot was the decision to abandon the ILS approach at an excessively early stage while flying in low visibility. Several contributing factors were identified:
- The pilot lacked accurate information regarding actual surface visibility, which had dropped below the minimum requirements for a night landing in this aircraft type.
- There was insufficient monitoring of the altimeters, and it is possible they were incorrectly configured during the approach.
- The use of landing lights created glare that hindered the crew's vision during the final stages of the descent through the fog.