Narrative:
The aircraft could not land at Hyderabad due to low visibility and carried out a missed approach. After the missed approach, the crew reported a flap retraction problem and decided to enter a holding pattern overhead at Hyderabad, during which the flight crew enquired visibility at nearby Air Force airfields. Because visibility was low there as well, the aircraft then diverted to Madras. Due to flaps problem, the crew had to maintain low speed and low altitude as a result of which it experienced fuel shortage. The crew then tried to divert to nearby Tirupati. However, the aircraft could not reach even Tirupati airport and executed forced landing in an open paddy field about 14 nautical miles from Tirupati airport. The aircraft dragged on the soft paddy field before coming to final stop.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "(a) The ill-conceived decision of the aircraft's Commander to divert to Madras, without ensuring that adequate fuel was available for reaching there, when he was faced with a flap-jam and poor visibility at Hyderabad. (b) The failure of the aircraft's Commander and his Flight Crew to monitor fuel consumption correctly, and the failure of the Commander to revise his decision accordingly, until it became impossible to reach any airfield. (c) A forced landing due to the eventual shortage of fuel".
Fuel exhaustion
All engine powerloss
Forced landing outside airport
accident date: 15-11-1993
type: Airbus A300B2-101
registration: VT-EDV
accident date: 15-11-1993
type: Airbus A300B2-101
registration: VT-EDV
accident date: 15-11-1993
type: Airbus A300B2-101
registration: VT-EDV
accident date: 15-11-1993
type: Airbus A300B2-101
registration: F-WLGB
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Monday 15 November 1993 |
| Time: | 09:25 |
| Type: |  Airbus A300B2-101 |
| Operator: | Indian Airlines |
| Registration: | VT-EDV |
| MSN: | 034 |
| First flight: | 1976-08-30 (17 years 3 months) |
| Engines: | 2 General Electric CF6-50C |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 12 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 250 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 262 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | 26 km (16.3 mls) from Tirupati Airport (TIR) ( India)
|
| Phase: | Landing (LDG) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Madras Airport (MAA/VOMM), India |
| Hyderabad-Begumpet Airport (HYD/VOHY), India | |
| Flightnumber: | 440 |
The aircraft could not land at Hyderabad due to low visibility and carried out a missed approach. After the missed approach, the crew reported a flap retraction problem and decided to enter a holding pattern overhead at Hyderabad, during which the flight crew enquired visibility at nearby Air Force airfields. Because visibility was low there as well, the aircraft then diverted to Madras. Due to flaps problem, the crew had to maintain low speed and low altitude as a result of which it experienced fuel shortage. The crew then tried to divert to nearby Tirupati. However, the aircraft could not reach even Tirupati airport and executed forced landing in an open paddy field about 14 nautical miles from Tirupati airport. The aircraft dragged on the soft paddy field before coming to final stop.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "(a) The ill-conceived decision of the aircraft's Commander to divert to Madras, without ensuring that adequate fuel was available for reaching there, when he was faced with a flap-jam and poor visibility at Hyderabad. (b) The failure of the aircraft's Commander and his Flight Crew to monitor fuel consumption correctly, and the failure of the Commander to revise his decision accordingly, until it became impossible to reach any airfield. (c) A forced landing due to the eventual shortage of fuel".
Classification:
Issue with flap(s)Fuel exhaustion
All engine powerloss
Forced landing outside airport
Sources:
» Civil aviation aircraft accident summary for the year 1993 (DGAC India)Photos
accident date: 15-11-1993
type: Airbus A300B2-101
registration: VT-EDV
accident date: 15-11-1993
type: Airbus A300B2-101
registration: VT-EDV
accident date: 15-11-1993
type: Airbus A300B2-101
registration: VT-EDV
accident date: 15-11-1993
type: Airbus A300B2-101
registration: F-WLGB
Aircraft history
| date | registration | operator | remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 AUG 1976 | F-WLGB | Airbus | first flight |
| 31 OCT 1976 | VT-EDV | Indian Airlines |
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Madras Airport to Hyderabad-Begumpet Airport as the crow flies is 526 km (329 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
Distance from Madras Airport to Hyderabad-Begumpet Airport as the crow flies is 526 km (329 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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