Ahmedabad plane crash: List of India's most devastating air tragedies

A major aviation tragedy struck India on Thursday afternoon when a London-bound Air India flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

The aircraft, carrying 232 passengers and 10 crew members and 2 pilots, went down mere minutes after its take-off. Initial reports and videos showed the moment the plane exploded and thick plumes of smoke rising from the crash site, as emergency responders rushed to the scene.




The cause of the crash is not yet confirmed, and authorities are still assessing the extent of casualties and damage. This, however, was not a first in India's aviation history.

Here's a list of India's most devastating air tragedies.

Also read: Air India passenger plane with over 200 onboard crashes near Meghaninagar

Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision

One of the most devastating incidents was the Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision on November 12, 1996. This accident, near Haryana’s Charkhi Dadri, involved a Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747 and a Kazakhstan Airlines Ilyushin Il-76. All 349 people on board both aircraft perished, making it the world’s deadliest mid-air collision and the worst aviation disaster in Indian skies. The tragedy was attributed to a miscommunication that led the Kazakh aircraft to descend below its designated altitude, resulting in a fatal collision.

Mangalore Air India plane crash

On May 22, 2010, Air India Express Flight 812, flying from Dubai to Mangalore, crashed while landing at the Mangalore International Airport. The Boeing 737-800 overshot the runway—a tabletop strip surrounded by a steep drop—and plunged into a gorge. The crash resulted in the deaths of 158 of the 166 people on board. It remains one of the deadliest landing accidents in Indian aviation.

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Air India Arabian Sea crash, 1978

On January 1, 1978, Air India Flight 855 plunged into the Arabian Sea shortly after takeoff from Mumbai due to instrument failure and pilot disorientation. All 213 people on board died, prompting subsequent reforms in pilot training and cockpit instrumentation checks.

Air India Express Flight IX-1344 crash

Similarly tragic was the Air India Express Flight IX-1344 crash on August 7, 2020, at Kozhikode (Calicut) airport. The aircraft, returning from Dubai under the Vande Bharat Mission, skidded off the rain-slicked tabletop runway, fell into a 30-foot gorge, and broke into two. Of the 190 onboard, 21 people were killed and over 100 injured, some critically.

Indian Airlines Flight 605 crash

In Bangalore, Indian Airlines Flight 605 crashed on February 14, 1990, after overshooting the runway during its approach. The Airbus A320 crashed due to pilot error, killing 92 of the 146 passengers and crew. This accident raised concerns about the design of the A320 cockpit and pilot preparedness.

Air India Flight 403 tragedy

Heavy monsoon weather played a role in the Air India Flight 403 tragedy on June 21, 1982, when the aircraft crashed while approaching Bombay airport. Of the 111 people onboard, 17 died. Although many survived, the accident served as a reminder of the dangers posed by poor visibility and wet conditions during landing.

Patna plane crash of 1998

India’s aviation history also includes the Alliance Air Flight 7412 crash on July 17, 1998, near Patna. The aircraft lost control during a go-around attempt and crashed into a densely populated neighbourhood near the airport, killing all 55 people onboard and five on the ground. The tragedy prompted a reassessment of safety procedures at congested airports.

Ahmedabad plane crash, 1988

Another major disaster occurred on October 19, 1988, when Indian Airlines Flight IC-113 crashed during final approach near Ahmedabad — the same city as today’s crash. The incident killed 130 people and remains one of the deadliest air crashes in India.

Kanishka bombing

Another catastrophe that haunts India’s aviation memory is the bombing of Air India Flight 182 on June 23, 1985. The flight, travelling from Canada to India, exploded mid-air off the coast of Ireland due to a bomb planted by Sikh extremists. All 329 passengers and crew aboard were killed. It remains one of the deadliest acts of aviation terrorism globally and a grim reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by international airlines.

Military plane crashes

In addition to these civilian disasters, India has witnessed numerous military aircraft crashes, particularly involving MiG-21 jets of the Indian Air Force. Over the years, several pilots have lost their lives in these accidents, often caused by technical malfunctions or during training missions. While these do not fall under civil aviation, they highlight long-standing concerns over aircraft maintenance and modernization within India’s defence aviation sector.