50 Years ago today: On 14 June 1972 a Japan Air Lines McDonnell Douglas DC-8-53 crashed near Jaitpur, India, killing 82 out of 87 persons on board.
Date: | Wednesday 14 June 1972 |
Time: | 20:18 |
Type: | Douglas DC-8-53 |
Operator: | Japan Air Lines – JAL |
Registration: | JA8012 |
MSN: | 45680/213 |
First flight: | 1964 |
Engines: | 4 Pratt & Whitney JT3D- |
Crew: | Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 11 |
Passengers: | Fatalities: 72 / Occupants: 76 |
Total: | Fatalities: 82 / Occupants: 87 |
Ground casualties: | Fatalities: 4 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
Location: | ca 20 km E of Delhi-Palam Airport (DEL) ( India) |
Phase: | Approach (APR) |
Nature: | International Scheduled Passenger |
Departure airport: | Bangkok-Don Muang International Airport (BKK/VTBD), Thailand |
Destination airport: | Delhi-Palam Airport (DEL/VIDP), India |
Flightnumber: | JL471 |
Narrative:
The DC-8 took off from Bangkok at 11:21 UTC on a flight to Delhi, India. Clearance for a straight-in ILS approach to Delhi runway 28 was given at 14:43 UTC. Shortly after reporting 23DME, the aircraft struck the banks of River Yamuna.
The first officer was Pilot Flying during the approach to Delhi.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: Japanese investigators claimed a false glide path signal to be responsible for the descent into terrain. Indian investigators say the accident was caused by a total disregard of laid down procedures by the crew and abandoning all instrument indications without properly ensuring sighting of the runway.