Accident description
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| Status: | |
| Date: | 01 JAN 1978 |
| Time: | 20:41 |
| Type: | Boeing 747-237B |
| Operator: | Air-India |
| Registration: | VT-EBD |
| C/n / msn: | 19959/124 |
| First flight: | 1971-03-08 (6 years 10 months) |
| Engines: | 4 Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7J |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 23 / Occupants: 23 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 190 / Occupants: 190 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 213 / Occupants: 213 |
| Airplane damage: | Destroyed |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Arabian Sea, off Bandra (India)
 |
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | International Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Bombay-Santacruz Airport (BOM/VABB), India |
| Dubai Airport (DXB/OMDB), United Arab Emirates | |
| Flightnumber: | 855 |
New year's day 1978. It's 20:40 when Air-India flight 855 departs Mumbai Airport's runway 27 for a flight to Dubai. The Boeing 747-200, named "Emperor Ashoka", was cleared to climb to 8000 feet and report leaving 2400 feet. Approx. one minute after takeoff the plane enters a gentle right turn heading for the Arabian Sea. The Attitude Director Indicator (ADI) however remained in a right-bank indication, while the wings were already level. The captain then said: "What's happened here, my instrument...". The co-pilot didn't note the captain's concern and replied: "Mine has also toppled, look's fine." The flight engineer however noticed the difference between the captain's ADI and the third spare ADI. Because it was dark outside and the aircraft was over the Arabian Sea, there was no visual contact with the horizon. The captain continued to roll to the left because, looking at his ADI, he still thinks the plane is in a right bank. As the airplane rolled through 40 degrees left, the flight engineer indicated to the captain: "Don't go by that one, don't go by that one...". The plane however continued to roll to the left, to 108 degrees left bank. The 747 started to descend from approx. 2000 feet altitude until it crashed into shallow (10m deep) water, 3km offshore in an approx. 35-40deg nose down pitch.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The probable cause of this accident was due to the irrational control inputs by the captain following complete unawareness of the attitude as his ADI had malfunctioned. The crew failed to gain control based on the other flight instruments." Events:
Sources:
» Aviation Disasters / D. Gero
» ICAO FILE NO. 78/1-0
» Jet-Airliner-Unfalle seit 1952 / J-A Richer, Chr. Wolf
Sample newspaper article from Newspaperarchive.com
Statistics
8th loss of a Boeing 747
3rd worst accident involving a Boeing 747 (at the time)
11th worst accident involving a Boeing 747 (currently)
The worst accident in India (at the time)
2nd worst accident in India (currently) » figures explained
3rd worst accident involving a Boeing 747 (at the time)
11th worst accident involving a Boeing 747 (currently)
The worst accident in India (at the time)
2nd worst accident in India (currently) » figures explained
Photos
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 Bombay-Santacruz Airport (BOM/VABB) to Dubai Airport (DXB/OMDB) as the crow flies is 1914 km (1196 miles).
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.
Distance from Bombay-Santacruz Airport (BOM/VABB) to Dubai Airport (DXB/OMDB) as the crow flies is 1914 km (1196 miles).
