Narrative:
Boeing 737 VT-ECQ was operating flight 491 from Delhi to Bombay with enroute stops at Jaipur, Udaipur and Aurangabad. The heavily laden aircraft started its takeoff roll from Aurangabad's runway 09 (which is approx 7500 feet long) in high temperatures (38-41deg C). After lifting off almost at the end of the runway, it impacted heavily with a lorry carrying pressed cotton bales on a highway at a distance of about 410 feet from the end of runway. The left main landing gear, left engine bottom cowling and thrust reverser impacted the left side of the truck at a height of nearly seven feet from the level of the road. Thereafter the aircraft hit the high tension electric wires nearly 3 km North-East of the runway and hit the ground.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "(i) Pilots' error in initiating late rotation and following wrong rotation technique, and (ii) failure of the NAA to regulate the mobile traffic on the Beed road during the flight hours".
Loss of control
accident date: 26-04-1993
type: Boeing 737-2A8
registration: VT-ECQ
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Monday 26 April 1993 |
| Time: | 13:06 |
| Type: |  Boeing 737-2A8 |
| Operator: | Indian Airlines |
| Registration: | VT-ECQ |
| MSN: | 20961/375 |
| First flight: | 1974-09-18 (18 years 8 months) |
| Total airframe hrs: | 43886 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9A |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 6 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 53 / Occupants: 112 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 55 / Occupants: 118 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | 3 km (1.9 mls) NE of Aurangabad Airport (IXU) ( India)
|
| Phase: | Takeoff (TOF) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Aurangabad-Chikkalthana Airport (IXU/VAAU), India |
| Bombay-Sahar International Airport (BOM/VABB), India | |
| Flightnumber: | IC491 |
Boeing 737 VT-ECQ was operating flight 491 from Delhi to Bombay with enroute stops at Jaipur, Udaipur and Aurangabad. The heavily laden aircraft started its takeoff roll from Aurangabad's runway 09 (which is approx 7500 feet long) in high temperatures (38-41deg C). After lifting off almost at the end of the runway, it impacted heavily with a lorry carrying pressed cotton bales on a highway at a distance of about 410 feet from the end of runway. The left main landing gear, left engine bottom cowling and thrust reverser impacted the left side of the truck at a height of nearly seven feet from the level of the road. Thereafter the aircraft hit the high tension electric wires nearly 3 km North-East of the runway and hit the ground.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "(i) Pilots' error in initiating late rotation and following wrong rotation technique, and (ii) failure of the NAA to regulate the mobile traffic on the Beed road during the flight hours".
Classification:
Loss of control
Sources:
» Civil aviation aircraft accident summary for the year 1993 (DGAC India)Photos
accident date: 26-04-1993
type: Boeing 737-2A8
registration: VT-ECQ
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 Aurangabad-Chikkalthana Airport to Bombay-Sahar International Airport as the crow flies is 277 km (173 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
Distance from Aurangabad-Chikkalthana Airport to Bombay-Sahar International Airport as the crow flies is 277 km (173 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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