ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC-8-43 I-DIWD Junnar
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Saturday 7 July 1962
Time:00:10
Type:Douglas DC-8-43
Operator:Alitalia
Registration: I-DIWD
MSN: 45631/160
First flight: 1962
Total airframe hrs:964
Engines: 4 Rolls-Royce Conway 508-12
Crew:Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 9
Passengers:Fatalities: 85 / Occupants: 85
Total:Fatalities: 94 / Occupants: 94
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:11 km (6.9 mls) NW of Junnar (   India)
Crash site elevation: 1098 m (3602 feet) amsl
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Bangkok-Don Muang International Airport (BKK/VTBD), Thailand
Destination airport:Bombay-Santacruz Airport (BOM/VABB), India
Flightnumber:AZ771
Narrative:
Alitalia flight 771 was a scheduled flight from Sydney (Australia) to Rome (Italy) via Darwin (Australia), Singapore, Bangkok (Thailand), Bombay (India), Karachi (Pakistan) and Tehran (Iran). It departed Bangkok Airport for Bombay-Santacruz Airport at 15:16 UTC (22:16 local time). At 18:20 UTC (22:50 local time) the crew contacted Bombay Approach and received clearance to descend from FL350 to FL200. Five minutes later further clearance was given to 4000 feet. In preparation for a runway 27 approach, the crew reported that they would make a 360 degrees turn over the Outer Marker. Last radio contact was at 18:39 (00:09 local time). The DC-8 had descended below minimum safe altitude and struck the Davandyachi Hill at an elevation of approximately 3600 ft amsl (1098 m).

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The accident was attributed to a navigation error which led the pilot to believe that he was nearer his destination than he actually was and, therefore, caused him to make a premature descent in instrument conditions for a straight-in approach to land at night. The aircraft consequently, crashed into high terrain. Contributing causes were: 1) Failure on the part of the pilot to make use of the navigational facilities available in order to ascertain the correct position of the aircraft.
2) Infringement of the prescribed minimum safe altitude. 3) Unfamiliarity of the pilot with the terrain on the route."

Classification:
Navigational error
Premature descent
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain

Sources:
» ICAO Accident Digest No.14 Volume II, Circular 71-AN/63 (83-97)
» The Indian Express - Jul 8, 1962


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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 Bangkok-Don Muang International Airport to Bombay-Santacruz Airport as the crow flies is 2993 km (1870 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few 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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