1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|November 1996 mid-air plane collision in northern India}}
{{Short description|1996 mid-air collision over India}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox aircraft occurrence
{{Infobox aircraft occurrence
| occurrence_type = Accident
| occurrence_type = Accident
| name            = Saudia Flight 763<br />Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907
| name            = 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision<br />{{nobold|{{small|Saudia Flight 763{{·}}Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907}}}}
| image          =  
| image          = Firefighters at the wreckage site of Flight 763.jpg
| alt            =
| caption        = Firefighters at the crash site of Flight 763
| caption        =  
| date            = {{start date|1996|11|12|df=yes}}
| date            = 12 November 1996
| summary        = [[Mid-air collision]] due to [[pilot error]]
| type            = [[Mid-air collision]]
| site            = [[Charkhi Dadri]], [[Haryana]], India
| site            = [[Charkhi Dadri]], [[Haryana]], India
| coordinates    = {{coord|28|33|38|N|76|18|15|E|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates    = {{coord|28|33|38|N|76|18|15|E|display=inline,title}}
| total_fatalities = 349
| total_fatalities = 349
| total_survivors = 0
| total_survivors = 0
| plane1_image    = Saudia Boeing 747-168B HZ-AIH.jpg
| plane1_image    = HZ-AIH Heathrow 8-3-1986.jpg
| plane1_caption  = HZ-AIH, the 747 involved, in the early 1980s.
| plane1_caption  = HZ-AIH, the [[Boeing 747-168B]] involved in the collision, seen in 1986
| plane1_type    = [[Boeing 747-168B]]
| plane1_type    = [[Boeing 747-168B]]
| aircraft_name  =
| plane1_operator = [[Saudia]]
| plane1_operator = [[Saudi Arabian Airlines|Saudia]]
| plane1_IATA    = SV763
| ICAO            = SVA763
| plane1_callsign = SAUDIA 763
| plane1_tailnum  = HZ-AIH
| plane1_tailnum  = HZ-AIH
| plane1_origin  = [[Indira Gandhi International Airport]], [[Delhi]], India
| plane1_origin  = [[Indira Gandhi International Airport]], [[Delhi]], India
| stopover        =
| plane1_stopover = [[Dhahran International Airport]], [[Dhahran]], Saudi Arabia
| stopover0      =
| plane1_destination = [[King Abdulaziz International Airport]], [[Jeddah]], Saudi Arabia
| last_stopover  =  
| plane1_occupants = 312
| plane1_destination = [[Dhahran International Airport]], [[Dhahran]], Saudi Arabia
| plane1_passengers = 289
| plane1_passengers = 289
| plane1_crew    = 23
| plane1_crew    = 23
| plane1_fatalities = 312
| plane1_fatalities = 312
| injuries        =
| missing        =
| plane1_survivors = 0
| plane1_survivors = 0
| plane2_image    = Kazakhstan Airlines Ilyushin Il-76TD Goetting-1.jpg
| plane2_image    = Kazakhstan Airlines Ilyushin Il-76TD Goetting-1.jpg
| plane2_caption  = UN-76435, the Ilyushin Il-76TD involved in the collision, in 1994.
| plane2_caption  = UN-76435, the [[Ilyushin Il-76TD]] involved in the collision, seen in 1994  
| plane2_type    = [[Ilyushin Il-76TD]]
| plane2_type    = [[Ilyushin Il-76TD]]
| plane2_operator = [[Kazakhstan Airlines]]
| plane2_operator = [[Kazakhstan Airlines]]
| plane2_IATA    = KZ1907
| plane2_ICAO    = KZA1907
| plane2_callsign = KAZAKH 1907
| plane2_tailnum  = UN-76435
| plane2_tailnum  = UN-76435
| plane2_origin  = [[Shymkent International Airport|Chimkent Airport]], Kazakhstan
| plane2_origin  = [[Shymkent International Airport|Chimkent Airport]], Kazakhstan
| plane2_destination = [[Indira Gandhi International Airport]], [[Delhi]], India
| plane2_destination = [[Indira Gandhi International Airport]], [[Delhi]], India
| plane2_occupants = 37
| plane2_passengers = 27
| plane2_passengers = 27
| plane2_crew    = 10
| plane2_crew    = 10
Line 42: Line 45:
| plane2_survivors = 0
| plane2_survivors = 0
}}
}}
On 12 November 1996, '''Saudia Flight 763''', a [[Boeing 747]] en route from [[Delhi]], India, to [[Jeddah]], with a stopover in [[Dhahran]], Saudi Arabia, and '''Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907''', an [[Ilyushin Il-76]] en route from [[Shymkent|Chimkent]], Kazakhstan, to Delhi, collided over the city of [[Charkhi Dadri]], around {{cvt|100|km|mi nmi|abbr=}} west of Delhi. The crash killed all 349 people on board both planes, making it the [[Mid-air collision#List of notable civilian and military–civilian mid-air collisions|world's deadliest mid-air collision]],<ref name=WPost349Killed /><ref name=RptExpected /> the deadliest aviation accident without survivors, and the deadliest aviation accident ever in India.<ref name=ASNProfile/><ref name="Two Airliners Collide in Midair, Killing All 351 Aboard in India" /> The final report from the investigation revealed that the Kazakh crew's failure to maintain the correct altitude led to the collision.<ref>{{harvnb|Lahoti|1997|p=VII}}</ref> Contributing factors included the poor English language skills in the Kazakh cockpit, resulting in inadequate interpretation of directions provided by [[air traffic control]], and three specific incidents of failures in [[crew resource management]] (CRM) by the Kazakh crew.<ref>{{harvnb|Lahoti|1997|p=VII}}</ref> The investigators noted the Indian airport lacked a [[secondary surveillance radar]]; the airport only had a [[primary radar]], which produced readings of distance and bearing, but not altitude.<ref name="Head On" /> The report also suggested technical enhancements (including [[Airborne collision avoidance system|ACAS]] and [[Secondary surveillance radar|SSR]]) that would provide assistance in preventing a future crew's mistakes from being allowed to go unchecked in real time.<ref>{{harvnb|Lahoti|1997|pp=VIII, XIII}}</ref>


On 12 November 1996, '''Saudia Flight 763''', a [[Boeing 747]] en route from [[Delhi]], India, to [[Dhahran]], Saudi Arabia, and '''Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907''', an [[Ilyushin Il-76]] en route from [[Chimkent]], Kazakhstan, to Delhi, collided over the village of [[Charkhi Dadri]], around {{cvt|100|km|mi nmi|abbr=}} west of Delhi. The crash killed all 349 people on board both planes, making it the [[Mid-air collision#List of notable civilian and military-civilian mid-air collisions|world's deadliest mid-air collision]]<ref name="At Least 349 Are Killed in Collision" /><ref name="Charkhi Dadri collision report expected this weekend" /> and the deadliest aviation accident to occur in [[India]].<ref>{{cite web|title= India air safety profile|work= Aviation Safety Network|url= http://aviation-safety.net/database/country/country.php?id=VT|access-date= 10 April 2014 }}</ref><ref name="Two Airliners Collide in Midair, Killing All 351 Aboard in India" />
==Aircraft involved==


==Collision==
===Saudia Flight 763===
The Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) [[Boeing 747-100#747-100|Boeing 747-168B]], [[Aircraft registration|registration]] HZ-AIH,<ref name="19961112-0">{{ASN accident|id= 19961112-0|title= HZ-AIH}}</ref> was flying the first leg of a scheduled international [[Indira Gandhi International Airport|Delhi]]–[[King Abdulaziz Air Base|Dhahran]]–[[King Abdulaziz International Airport|Jeddah]] passenger service as Flight SVA763 with 312 people on board;<ref name="Collision raises doubts on ATC routeings" /> the Kazakhstan Airlines Ilyushin Il-76TD,<ref name="ASN-KZK" /> registration UN-76435, was on a charter service from [[Shymkent International Airport|Chimkent Airport]] to Delhi as KZA1907.<ref name="Collision raises doubts on ATC routeings" /> SVA763 departed Delhi at 18:32 [[Time in India|local time]] (13:02 UTC).<ref name="19961112-0" /> KZA1907 was descending simultaneously, to land at Delhi.<ref name="Collision raises doubts on ATC routeings" /> Both flights were controlled by [[air traffic controller|approach controller]] VK Dutta. The crew of SVA763 consisted of Captain Khalid Al-Shubaily, First Officer Nazir Khan, and Flight Engineer Ahmed Edrees. The crew of KZA1907 consisted of Captain Alexander Cherepanov, First Officer Ermek Dzhangirov, Flight Engineer Alexander Chuprov, Navigator Zhahanbek Aripbaev, and Radio Operator Egor Repp.<ref name="One Jet in Crash Over India Ruled Off Course" /><ref name="collision report"/>
 
[[Saudia]] Flight 763 was a [[Boeing 747-100#747-100|Boeing 747-168B]], [[Aircraft registration|registration]] HZ-AIH, departing from Delhi as part of a scheduled international [[Indira Gandhi International Airport|Delhi]]–[[King Abdulaziz Air Base|Dhahran]]–[[King Abdulaziz International Airport|Jeddah]] passenger service with 312 people on board.<ref name=FGlobalATC /> The crew on this flight consisted of Captain Khalid al-Shubaily (aged 45), First Officer Nazir Khan (aged 37), and Flight Engineer Ahmed Edrees (aged 33). Al-Shubaily was a veteran pilot with 9,837 flying hours.<ref name="collision report" />
 
There is some dispute as to the nationalities of the passengers of Flight 763. According to an article published on 14 November 1996, 215 Indians, many of whom worked in Saudi Arabia as [[blue-collar]] workers, boarded the flight, along with 40 Nepalis and three Americans.<ref name="Indian Officials Gather Evidence on Midair Collision"/> However, according to a different article, the passenger manifest included 17 people of other nationalities, including nine Nepalis, three Pakistanis, two Americans, one Bangladeshi, one British, and one Saudi.<ref name="Two Airliners Collide in Midair, Killing All 351 Aboard in India" /> Twelve of the crew members, including five anti-terrorism officials, were Saudi Arabian citizens.<ref name="Pilot error focus of India collision investigation" />
 
===Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907===
 
[[Kazakhstan Airlines]] Flight 1907, an [[Ilyushin Il-76TD]] with registration UN-76435, was on a charter service from [[Shymkent International Airport|Chimkent Airport]] to Delhi. The crew consisted of Captain Alexander Robertovich Cherepanov (aged 44), First Officer Ermek Kozhahmetovich Dzhangirov (aged 37), Flight Engineer Alexander Alexanderovich Chuprov (aged 50), Navigator Zhahanbek Duisenovich Aripbaev (aged 51), and Radio Operator Egor Alekseevich Repp (aged 41).<ref name="One Jet in Crash Over India Ruled Off Course" /><ref name="collision report"/> Cherepanov was highly experienced, with 9,229 flight hours.<ref name=Y1996Summary />


KZA1907 was cleared to descend to {{convert|15000|ft|m}} when it was {{convert|74|nmi|km}} from the beacon of the destination airport, while SVA763, travelling on the same [[Airway (aviation)|airway]] as KZA1907 but in the opposite direction, was cleared to climb to {{convert|14000|ft|m}}. About eight minutes later, around 18:40, KZA1907 reported having reached its assigned altitude of {{convert|15000|ft|m}}, but it was actually lower, at {{convert|14500|ft|m}}, and still descending.<ref name="ASN-KZK">{{ASN accident|id=19961112-1|title= Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907}}</ref> At this time, Dutta advised the flight, "Identified traffic 12 o'clock, reciprocal Saudia Boeing 747, {{convert|10|nmi|km}}. Report in sight."<ref name="collision report">{{cite web|title=Report of Court of Inquiry on Mid-Air Collision Between Saudi Arabian Boeing 747 and Kazakhstan IL-76 on 12th November, 1996 Near Delhi - India (Charkhi-Dadri, Haryana)|url=https://dgca.gov.in/digigov-portal/Upload?flag=iframeAttachView&attachId=130614975&mainAccidentReports|author=Lahoti|first=R.C.|author-link=Ramesh Chandra Lahoti|publisher=[[Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India)|Directorate General of Civil Aviation]], [[Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)|Ministry of Civil Aviation]]|access-date=25 May 2020}}</ref>
A company from [[Kyrgyzstan]]<!--not an error; Kyrgyz company but Kazakh flight--> chartered the flight, and the passenger manifest mostly included [[Russians in Kyrgyzstan|ethnic Russian]] Kyrgyz citizens planning to go shopping in India.<ref name="Two Airliners Collide in Midair, Killing All 351 Aboard in India"/><ref name="One Jet in Crash Over India Ruled Off Course"/><ref name="Indian Officials Gather Evidence on Midair Collision"/> Thirteen Kyrgyz traders boarded the flight.<ref name="Pilot error focus of India collision investigation"/>


When the controller called KZA1907 again, he received no reply. He tried to warn of the other flight's distance, but was too late. The two aircraft collided, with the tail of KZA1907 slicing through SVA763's left wing and horizontal stabiliser. The crippled Saudi Boeing quickly lost control and went into a rapidly descending spiral with fire trailing from the wing, and the aircraft broke up in mid air before crashing into the ground at a nearly supersonic speed of {{convert|1135|km/h|kn mph|abbr=on}}. The Ilyushin remained structurally intact as it entered a steady but rapid and uncontrolled descent, until it crashed in a field.<ref name="Head On" /> Rescuers discovered four critically injured passengers from the Ilyushin, but they all died soon afterwards. Two passengers from the Saudia flight survived the crash, still strapped to their seats, only to die of internal injuries soon after.<ref name="Independent1996" /><ref name="4survivors">{{citation |url=http://www.casa.gov.au/fsa/2006/dec/42-44.pdf |title=Mid-Air Disasters |work=Flight Safety Australia |date=November–December 2006 |access-date=10 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030114427/http://www.casa.gov.au/fsa/2006/dec/42-44.pdf |archive-date=30 October 2008 |page=42 |last=Job |first=Macarthur |url-status=dead  }}</ref> In the end, all 312 people on board SVA763 and all 37 people on KZA1907 were killed.
==Accident==
Saudia Flight 763 departed Delhi at 18:32 [[Time in India|local time]] (13:02 UTC). Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907 was descending simultaneously to land at Delhi.<ref name=FGlobalATC /> Both flights were controlled by [[air traffic controller|approach controller]] V.K. Dutta.<ref name="collision report"/> Immediately after take-off, the Saudia flight was cleared to an initial altitude of {{convert|10000|ft|m|round=50}}. At 18:34, Dutta cleared the Kazakh plane to descend to {{convert|15000|ft|m|round=50}} when it was {{convert|74|nmi|km}} from the beacon of the destination airport. Two minutes later, at 18:36, Dutta cleared the Saudia plane, travelling on the same [[Airway (aviation)|airway]] but in the opposite direction, to climb to {{convert|14000|ft|m|round=50}}. At 18:38, the Saudia crew reported reaching 14,000 feet and requested a higher level. Dutta told them to hold their altitude and standby, to which First Officer Khan replied, "Saudi 763 will maintain one four zero."<ref name="collision report"/>


The collision took place about {{convert|60|mi|-1|order=flip}} west of Delhi.<ref name="Human error is blamed for crash" /> The wreckage of the Saudi Arabian aircraft landed near Dhani village, [[Bhiwani District]], Haryana. The wreckage of the Kazakh aircraft hit the ground near [[Birohar]] village, [[Rohtak District]], Haryana.<ref name="acc96.pdf" />
At 18:39, the Kazakh flight reported having reached its assigned altitude of 15,000 feet, but it was actually higher, at {{convert|16348|ft|m|round=50}}, and still descending.<ref name="ASN-KZK"/><ref name="collision report"/> At this time, Dutta advised the flight, "Identified traffic 12 O'Clock, reciprocal, Saudia Boeing 747 at ten miles, likely to cross in another five miles. Report, if in sight."<ref name="collision report"/> Radio Operator Repp requested clarification, to which Dutta replied, "Traffic{{nbsp}}... is at eight miles, level 140."<ref name="collision report"/> Repp acknowledged the update, and signed off with, "Now looking 1907."<ref name="collision report"/>


==Passengers and crew==
Less than a minute later, at 18:40, the crew of a [[United States Air Force]] cargo flight made a radio call saying they had seen "a big explosion" at their two o'clock position.<ref name="collision report"/> Dutta attempted to contact the Saudia and Kazakh flights but received no response. The two aircraft had collided, with the left wing of the Kazakh flight slicing through the left wing of the Saudia 747 while the left [[horizontal stabilizer]] of the 747 sliced off the [[vertical stabilizer]] (including the horizontal stabilizer) of the Kazakh flight.{{Cn|date=May 2024}} The crippled Saudi Boeing immediately lost control and went into a rapidly descending spiral with fire trailing from the wing and broke up mid-air before crashing to the ground at a nearly supersonic speed of {{convert|1135|km/h|kn mph|abbr=on}}. With most of its left wing and vertical stabilizer gone, the Ilyushin went into a [[Spin (aerodynamics)#Phases|flat spin]] and crashed into a field at a flat attitude near the wreckage of the Saudia plane. All 312 people on board Saudia Flight 763 and all 37 people on Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907 were killed.<ref name="4survivors" />


===Saudia Flight 763===
The recorder of the Saudi Arabian plane revealed the pilots said the [[Islamic]] [[Istighfar]] (forgiveness prayer) and recited the [[Shahada]] before impact with the ground.<ref name="collision report"/>
The captain of the flight was a 45-year old veteran pilot with more than 9,800 flying hours.<ref name="acc96.pdf" /> An article published in ''[[The New York Times]]'' on 14 November 1996 stated that 215 Indians who boarded the flight worked in Saudi Arabia;<ref name="Indian Officials Gather Evidence on Midair Collision" /> many of them worked or planned to work in [[blue-collar]] jobs<ref name="Indian law may restrain size of crash claims" /> as house maids, drivers, and cooks. The article also stated that 40 Nepalis and three Americans boarded the Saudi flight.<ref name="Indian Officials Gather Evidence on Midair Collision"/> According to an article published a day earlier in the same newspaper, the passenger manifest included 17 people of other nationalities, including nine Nepalis, three Pakistanis, two Americans, one Bangladeshi, one [[United Kingdom|British]], and one Saudi.<ref name="Two Airliners Collide in Midair, Killing All 351 Aboard in India" /> Twelve of the crew members, including five anti-terrorism officials, were Saudi citizens.<ref name="Pilot error focus of India collision investigation" />


===Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907===
The collision took place about {{convert|60|mi|-1|order=flip}} west of Delhi.<ref name=HumanErr /> The wreckage of the Saudi Arabian aircraft landed near Dhani village, [[Bhiwani District]], Haryana. The wreckage of the Kazakh aircraft hit the ground near [[Birohar]] village, [[Rohtak District]], Haryana.<ref name=Y1996Summary />
<!--Despite it being Kazakhstan Airlines the passengers and chartering company were Kyrgyz!!!!-->
The captain of Flight 1907, aged 44, was also highly experienced, with more than 9,200 flight hours.<ref name="acc96.pdf" /> A company from [[Kyrgyzstan]] chartered the flight, and the passenger manifest mostly included [[Russians in Kyrgyzstan|ethnic Russian]] Kyrgyz citizens planning to go shopping in India.<ref name="Two Airliners Collide in Midair, Killing All 351 Aboard in India"/><ref name="One Jet in Crash Over India Ruled Off Course"/><ref name="Indian Officials Gather Evidence on Midair Collision"/> Thirteen Kyrgyz traders boarded the flight.<ref name="Pilot error focus of India collision investigation"/>


==Investigation and final report==
==Investigation and final report==
The crash was investigated by the Lahoti Commission, headed by then-Delhi High Court judge [[Ramesh Chandra Lahoti]]. Depositions were taken from the Air Traffic Controllers Guild and the two airlines. The [[flight data recorder]]s were decoded by Kazakhstan Airlines and Saudia under the supervision of air crash investigators in Moscow and [[Air Accidents Investigation Branch|Farnborough]], England, respectively.<ref name="Head On" /> The ultimate cause was held to be the failure of Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907's pilot to follow ATC instructions, whether due to cloud turbulence or due to communication problems.<ref name="collision report" /><ref name="Turbulence factor gains ground in Charkhi-Dadri crash probe" /><ref name="Kazakh aircraft held responsible for Charkhi Dadri mishap" /><ref name="The truth behind the 10 deadliest plane crashes of all time" />{{acn|date=May 2020}}
The crash was investigated by the Lahoti Commission, headed by then-Delhi High Court judge [[Ramesh Chandra Lahoti]]. Depositions were taken from the Air Traffic Controllers Guild and the two airlines. The [[flight data recorder]]s (FDR) were decoded by Kazakhstan Airlines and Saudia under the supervision of air crash investigators in Moscow and [[Air Accidents Investigation Branch|Farnborough]], England, respectively.<ref name="Head On" /> The ultimate cause was held to be the failure of [[Kazakhstan Airlines]] Flight 1907's pilot to follow ATC instructions, whether due to cloud turbulence or due to communication problems.<ref name="collision report" /><ref name=KazakhFault /><ref name=Deadliest />


The commission determined that the accident had been the fault of the Kazakhstani Il-76 commander, who (according to FDR evidence) had descended from the assigned altitude of {{convert|15000|to|14500|ft|m}} and subsequently {{convert|14000|ft|m}} and even lower. The report ascribed the cause of this serious breach in operating procedure to the lack of English language skills on the part of the Kazakhstani aircraft pilots; they were relying entirely on their radio operator for communications with the ATC. The radio operator did not have his own flight instrumentation and had to look over the pilots' shoulders for a reading.<ref name=red1>{{cite news|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/may/15aai.htm |date=26 May 1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991007030506/http://www.rediff.com/news/may/15aai.htm |archive-date=7 October 1999 |title=Communication gap caused Charkhi Dadri mishap |publisher=[[Rediff]] |access-date=4 July 2006}}</ref> Kazakhstani officials stated that the aircraft had descended while their pilots were fighting [[turbulence]] inside a bank of [[Cumulus cloud|cumulus]] clouds.<ref name="collision report" /><ref name="Kazakh aircraft held responsible for Charkhi Dadri mishap" />{{bsn|date=May 2020}}
The commission determined that the accident had been the fault of the Kazakhstani Il-76 crew, who (according to FDR evidence) had descended from the assigned altitude of {{convert|15000|to|14500|ft|m|round=50}} and subsequently {{convert|14000|ft|m|round=50}} and even lower. The report ascribed the cause of this serious breach in operating procedure to the lack of English language skills on the part of the Kazakhstan aircraft pilots; they were relying entirely on Radio Operator Repp for communications with the ATC. As part of this, the report suggested that First Officer Dzhangirov (and possibly Captain Cherepanov) might have misunderstood Dutta's final radio call, and assumed that the Saudi 747's altitude (14,000 feet) was their own assigned altitude.<ref name="collision report"/> Indian air controllers also complained that the Kazakhstani pilots sometimes confused their calculations because they are accustomed to using metre altitudes and kilometre distances, while most other countries use feet and nautical miles, respectively, for aerial navigation.<ref name=Independent1996 />  Although the crew in this particular collision did not appear to have made a computational error, Kazakhstan Airlines did not have enough foot-marked altimeters for all crewmembers. Repp did not have his own flight instrumentation and had to look over the pilots' shoulders for a reading, which likely limited his own situational awareness.<ref name=red1/>  


Indian air controllers also complained that the Kazakhstani pilots sometimes confused their calculations because they are accustomed to using metre altitudes and kilometre distances, while most other countries use feet and nautical miles respectively for aerial navigation.<ref name=Independent1996 />
Kazakh officials claimed such a misunderstanding was implausible because they claimed that their records showed Dzhangirov sufficiently fluent to teach English to other Kazakh pilots at the time. Instead, they concluded{{snd}}from the Kazakhstani plane's misleading flight data records{{snd}}that the aircraft had descended while their pilots were battling [[turbulence]] inside a bank of [[cumulus cloud]]s.<ref name="collision report" /><ref name=KazakhFault/> Meteorological reports,<ref name=red1/> the affidavits of a [[Lockheed C-141B Starlifter]] crew that observed the crash,<ref name=Clouds/> and conclusive analysis by the investigators{{snd}}showing that the specific flight data record the Kazakh officials focused on proved only that the record was based on faulty recording equipment on the plane<ref name=Mayday/>{{snd}}disproved the Kazakh theory that turbulence was to blame.<ref name="Head On" />


Just a few seconds from impact, the Kazakhstani plane climbed slightly and the two planes collided. This was because the radio operator of Kazakhstan 1907 discovered only then that they were not at 15,000 feet and asked the pilot to climb. The captain gave orders for full throttle, and the plane climbed, only to hit the oncoming Saudi Arabian plane. The tail of the Kazakhstani plane clipped the left wing of the Saudi Arabian jet, severing both parts from their respective planes. Had the Kazakhstani pilots not climbed slightly, it is likely that they would have passed under the Saudi Arabian plane.{{cn|date=February 2022}}
However, whether or not particular crewmembers fully understood the radio transmissions or were distracted by atmospheric conditions, the five-person crew was sufficiently large that it likely struggled to maintain common [[situational awareness]] and coordinate crew actions.{{clarify|date=June 2025|reason=five-person crew is a normal size, not by itself a reason to struggle}}


The recorder of the Saudi Arabian plane revealed the pilots recited the prayer that is required, according to [[Sharia| Islamic law]], when one faces death.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021|reason=This claim is not stated in the sources in the paragraph. Possibly in the documentary but need better sourcing.}} The counsel for the ATC Guild denied the presence of turbulence, quoting meteorological reports, but did state that the collision occurred inside a cloud.<ref name=red1/> This was substantiated by the affidavit of Capt. Place, who was the commander of the aforementioned [[Lockheed C-141B Starlifter]], which was flying into New Delhi at the time of the crash.<ref name="Head On" /> The members of his crew filed similar affidavits.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.rediff.com/news/may/26air.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991011103254/http://www.rediff.com/news/may/26air.htm |archive-date=11 October 1999 |title=Charkhi Dadri collision occurred in "heavy clouds": US pilot |publisher=[[Rediff]] |access-date=4 July 2006 }}</ref>
Just a few seconds before impact, Repp had realised that the pilots were flying below the required {{convert|15,000|ft|m}} and brought it to their attention. Cherepanov gave orders for full throttle, and the plane climbed, only to hit the oncoming Saudi Arabian plane. The tail of the Kazakhstani plane clipped the left wing of the Saudi Arabian jet, severing both parts from their respective planes.


Furthermore, [[Indira Gandhi International Airport]] did not have [[secondary surveillance radar]], which provides extra information, such as the aircraft's identity and altitude, by reading [[Transponder (aviation)|transponder]] signals; instead the airport had [[primary radar]], which produces readings of distance and bearing, but not altitude. In addition, departures and arrivals both shared a single corridor within the civilian airspace around New Delhi. Most areas have separate corridors: one for departures and another one for arrivals. But the airspace of Delhi in 1996 had only one civilian corridor because much of the airspace was taken by the [[Indian Air Force]].<ref name="Head On" /> Due to the crash, the air-crash investigation report recommended changes to air-traffic procedures and infrastructure in New Delhi's air-space:<ref name="collision report" />
Furthermore, the investigation team noted that the [[Indira Gandhi International Airport]] did not have [[secondary surveillance radar]], which provides extra information, such as the aircraft's identity and altitude, by reading [[Transponder (aviation)|transponder]] signals; instead, the airport had a [[primary radar]], which produces readings of distance and bearing, but not altitude. In addition, departures and arrivals both shared a single corridor within the civilian airspace around New Delhi. While most areas have separate corridors{{snd}}one for departures and another one for arrivals{{snd}}the airspace of Delhi in 1996 had only one civilian corridor for both departures and arrivals because much of the airspace was taken by the [[Indian Air Force]]. Moreover, neither plane was equipped with a [[traffic collision avoidance system]], which would have alerted crew on both flights.<ref name="Head On" />  
 
Due to the crash, the air crash investigation report recommended changes to air traffic procedures and infrastructure in New Delhi's airspace:<ref name="collision report" />


* Separation of inbound and outbound aircraft through the creation of 'air corridors'
* Separation of inbound and outbound aircraft through the creation of 'air corridors'
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==Aftermath==
==Aftermath==
The [[Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India)|Directorate General of Civil Aviation]] subsequently made it mandatory for all aircraft flying in and out of India to be equipped with an [[airborne collision avoidance system]]. This set a worldwide precedent for mandatory use of [[Traffic Collision Avoidance System]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurocontrol.int/articles/history-future-airborne-collision-avoidance|title=History & future of airborne collision avoidance|date=9 March 2012|website=Eurocontrol|language=en}}</ref>
The [[Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India)|Directorate General of Civil Aviation]] subsequently made it mandatory for all aircraft flying in and out of India to be equipped with an [[airborne collision avoidance system]]. This set a worldwide precedent for mandatory use of [[traffic collision avoidance system]]s.<ref name=TCAS/>
 
{{As of|2021}}, there is an ongoing effort by the Charkhi Dadri district administration to develop{{Update inline|date=September 2025}} a memorial honoring the victims of the mid-air collision. The proposed memorial, which would consist of names and other information of the victims, would be located at a to-be-built memorial park in the district. However, the district administration is waiting to get an approval for the project from the [[Haryana government]], and plans to include the participation of the [[Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)|Ministry of Civil Aviation of India]], [[Airport Authority of India]], and the embassies of Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan in the development of the memorial.<ref name=Memorial/>


==Documentaries==
==Documentaries==
[[Miditech]], a company based in [[Gurgaon|Gurugram]], Haryana, produced a documentary about the disaster called ''Head On!'', which aired on the [[National Geographic Channel]].<ref name="Head On" />
[[Miditech]], a company based in [[Gurgaon|Gurugram]], Haryana, produced a documentary about the disaster called ''Head On!'', which aired on the [[National Geographic Channel]].<ref name="Head On" />


The disaster was also the subject of an episode in the documentary series ''[[Mayday (Canadian TV series)|Mayday (Air Crash Investigation)]]'' on 11 November 2009 entitled "Sight Unseen", also shown on the National Geographic Channel.<ref>{{cite web|title=Haryana India 1996 Plane Crash, Head on Collision |publisher=National Geographic Channel |url=http://www.natgeochannel.co.uk/programmes/air-crash-investigation/india-haryana-1996 |work=National Geographic Channel |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410080329/http://www.natgeochannel.co.uk/Programmes/air-crash-investigation/india-haryana-1996 |archive-date=10 April 2009 |url-status=dead |access-date=17 April 2009 }}</ref>
The collision was also the subject of the 2009 episode "[[List of Mayday episodes#ep52|Sight Unseen]]", of the Canadian-made, internationally distributed documentary series ''[[Mayday (Canadian TV series)|Mayday]]''.<ref name=Mayday>{{Cite episode |title=Sight Unseen |episode-link=List of Mayday episodes#ep52 |series=[[Mayday (Canadian TV series)|Mayday]] |publisher=[[Cineflix]] |publication-place=Montreal |network=[[USA Network (Canadian TV channel)|Discovery Channel Canada]] et al<!--- country of origin, article is about the airplane incident - not an exposé of all the permutations and combinations of the Cineflex production: other channels, in other countries, using other series names/episode titles, are found at the linked articles ---> |season=7 |number=4 |date=2009-11-11}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
* [[List of accidents and incidents involving airliners by airline]]
* [[List of accidents and incidents involving airliners by airline]]
* [[2002 Überlingen mid-air collision|Überlingen mid-air collision]]
* [[2001 Japan Airlines mid-air incident]]


== References ==
== References ==
* {{cite web|author=Lahoti, R.C.|author-link=Ramesh Chandra Lahoti|url=https://dgca.gov.in/digigov-portal/?dynamicPage=dynamicPdf/130614975&mainAccidentReports/500005/0/viewApplicationDtlsReq|title=Report of Court of Inquiry on Mid-Air Collision Between Saudi Arabian Boeing 747 and Kazakhstan IL-76 on 12th November, 1996 Near Delhi - India (Charkhi-Dadri, Haryana)|publisher=[[Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India)|Directorate General of Civil Aviation]], [[Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)|Ministry of Civil Aviation]]}} ([https://web.archive.org/web/20200525230709/https://dgca.gov.in/digigov-portal/Upload?flag=iframeAttachView&attachId=130614975&mainAccidentReports PDF])
=== Reference notes ===
{{reflist|refs=
<!-- + -->
<ref name="acc96.pdf">{{cite web|title= Civil aviation aircraft accident summary for the year 1996|publisher= [[Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India)|Directorate General of Civil Aviation]]|url= http://dgca.nic.in/accident/acc96.pdf|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150103164042/http://dgca.nic.in/accident/acc96.pdf|archive-date= 3 January 2015|df= dmy-all}}&nbsp;</ref>
<!-- + -->


<!-- Not in use
=== Citations ===
<ref name="Alliant Content - Head On">{{cite news|title=YouTube.Com – Pure History Specials: Head On Air Crash|publisher=Alliant Content|date= 16 May 2013|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E18hX_UFIyc|access-date=25 December 2013}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}}</ref>
{{reflist|refs=<!--Sorted alphabetically by title-->
Not in use-->
<ref name="ASN-KZK">{{ASN accident|id=19961112-1|title= Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907}}</ref>
 
<ref name=Y1996Summary>{{cite report |title=Civil aviation aircraft accident summary for the year 1996 |publisher=[[Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India)|Directorate General of Civil Aviation]] |url=http://dgca.nic.in/accident/acc96.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103164042/http://dgca.nic.in/accident/acc96.pdf |archive-date=3 January 2015|page=8/18}}</ref>
<!-- + -->
<ref name=WPost349Killed>{{cite news |title=At Least 349 Are Killed in Collision  
<ref name="At Least 349 Are Killed in Collision">{{cite news
  |first=Kenneth J. |last=Cooper |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]  
|title=At Least 349 Are Killed in Collision  
  |first=Kenneth J.  
|last=Cooper  
|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]  
  |date=13 November 1996  
  |date=13 November 1996  
  |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/flight801/stories/1996crash.htm  
  |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/flight801/stories/1996crash.htm  
Line 118: Line 118:
  |archive-date=26 June 2013
  |archive-date=26 June 2013
  |url-status=dead}}</ref>
  |url-status=dead}}</ref>
<!-- + -->
<ref name=Clouds>{{cite news |url=http://www.rediff.com/news/may/26air.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991011103254/http://www.rediff.com/news/may/26air.htm |archive-date=11 October 1999 |title=Charkhi Dadri collision occurred in "heavy clouds": US pilot |publisher=[[Rediff]] |access-date=4 July 2006 }}</ref>
<ref name="Charkhi Dadri collision report expected this weekend">{{cite news|title= Charkhi Dadri collision report expected this weekend|first= Syed Firdaus|last= Ashraf|location= New Delhi|work= [[Rediff]]|url= http://www.rediff.com/news/mar/11air.htm|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140410180434/http://www.rediff.com/news/mar/11air.htm|archive-date= 10 April 2014 }}</ref>
<ref name=RptExpected>{{cite news |title=Charkhi Dadri collision report expected this weekend |first=Syed Firdaus |last=Ashraf |location=New Delhi |work=[[Rediff]] |url=http://www.rediff.com/news/mar/11air.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410180434/http://www.rediff.com/news/mar/11air.htm |archive-date=10 April 2014}}</ref>
<!-- + -->
<ref name=FGlobalATC>{{cite news |title=Collision raises doubts on ATC routeings |first1=Max |last1=Kingsley-Jones |first2=David |last2=Learmount |publisher=[[Flightglobal]] |agency=[[Flight International]] |date=20 September 1996 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/collision-raises-doubts-on-atc-routeings-10013/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150101143223/http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/collision-raises-doubts-on-atc-routeings-10013/ |archive-date=1 January 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="Collision raises doubts on ATC routeings">{{cite news|title= Collision raises doubts on ATC routeings|first1= Max|last1= Kingsley-Jones|first2= David|last2= Learmount|publisher= [[Flightglobal]]|agency= [[Flight International]]|date= 20 September 1996|url= http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/collision-raises-doubts-on-atc-routeings-10013/|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150101143223/http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/collision-raises-doubts-on-atc-routeings-10013/|archive-date= 1 January 2015|df= dmy-all}}&nbsp;</ref>
<ref name=red1>{{cite news|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/may/15aai.htm |date=26 May 1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991007030506/http://www.rediff.com/news/may/15aai.htm |archive-date=7 October 1999 |title=Communication gap caused Charkhi Dadri mishap |publisher=[[Rediff]] |access-date=4 July 2006}}</ref>
<!-- + -->
<ref name=Memorial>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/haryanas-charkhi-dadri-plans-a-memorial-for-1996-mid-air-collision-victims/articleshow/81319907.cms|title=Haryana's Charkhi Dadri plans a memorial for 1996 mid-air collision victims|date= 4 March 2021|newspaper=The Times of India|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240218124821/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/haryanas-charkhi-dadri-plans-a-memorial-for-1996-mid-air-collision-victims/articleshow/81319907.cms|archive-date= 18 February 2024}}</ref>
<ref name="Head On">{{cite AV media |url=http://www.miditech.tv/content.aspx?page=HeadOn |title=Head On – AirCrash |type=TV documentary |publisher=[[Miditech]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070323002305/http://www.miditech.tv/content.aspx?page=HeadOn |archive-date=23 March 2007 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>
<ref name="Head On">{{cite AV media |url=http://www.miditech.tv/content.aspx?page=HeadOn |title=Head On – AirCrash |type=TV documentary |publisher=[[Miditech]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070323002305/http://www.miditech.tv/content.aspx?page=HeadOn |archive-date=23 March 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
<!-- + -->
<ref name=TCAS>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurocontrol.int/articles/history-future-airborne-collision-avoidance|title=History & future of airborne collision avoidance|date=9 March 2012|website=Eurocontrol|language=en|access-date=6 May 2019|archive-date=4 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204153356/https://www.eurocontrol.int/articles/history-future-airborne-collision-avoidance|url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="Human error is blamed for crash">{{cite news|title=Human error is blamed for crash |last=Bellamy |first=Christopher |work=[[The Independent]] |date=13 November 1996 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/human-error-is-blamed-for-crash-1352080.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226013332/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/human-error-is-blamed-for-crash-1352080.html |archive-date=26 February 2014 |url-status=live  }}</ref>
<ref name=HumanErr>{{cite news|title=Human error is blamed for crash |last=Bellamy |first=Christopher |work=[[The Independent]] |date=13 November 1996 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/human-error-is-blamed-for-crash-1352080.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226013332/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/human-error-is-blamed-for-crash-1352080.html |archive-date=26 February 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<!-- + -->
<ref name=ASNProfile>{{cite web|title= India air safety profile|work= Aviation Safety Network|url= http://aviation-safety.net/database/country/country.php?id=VT|access-date= 10 April 2014 }}</ref>
<ref name=Independent1996>{{cite news|title= THE INDIAN AIR CRASH: Tapes point blame at Kazakh pilot|first= Tim|last= McGirk|newspaper= The Independent|date= 14 November 1996|url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/the-indian-air-crash-tapes-point-blame-at-kazakh-pilot-1352266.html|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190501173653/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/the-indian-air-crash-tapes-point-blame-at-kazakh-pilot-1352266.html|archive-date= 1 May 2019|url-status= live}}</ref>
<ref name=Independent1996>{{cite news|title=THE INDIAN AIR CRASH: Tapes point blame at Kazakh pilot|first= Tim|last= McGirk|newspaper= The Independent|date= 14 November 1996|url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/the-indian-air-crash-tapes-point-blame-at-kazakh-pilot-1352266.html|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190501173653/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/the-indian-air-crash-tapes-point-blame-at-kazakh-pilot-1352266.html|archive-date= 1 May 2019|url-status= live}}</ref>
<!-- + -->
<ref name="Indian Officials Gather Evidence on Midair Collision">{{cite news|title= Indian Officials Gather Evidence on Midair Collision|first= John F.|last= Burns|newspaper= [[The New York Times]]|date= 14 November 1996|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/14/world/indian-officials-gather-evidence-on-midair-collision.html?pagewanted=print&src=pm|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150103165051/http://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/14/world/indian-officials-gather-evidence-on-midair-collision.html?pagewanted=print&src=pm|archive-date= 3 January 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="Indian law may restrain size of crash claims">{{cite news|title= Indian law may restrain size of crash claims|first1= Shapiro|last1= Stacy|first2= Marathe|last2= Kaumudi|publisher= Business Insurance|date= 18 November 1996|url= http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-18932971.html|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110517012927/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-18932971.html|archive-date= 17 May 2011|df= dmy-all}}&nbsp;</ref>
<ref name=KazakhFault>{{cite web|title= Kazakh aircraft held responsible for Charkhi Dadri mishap|website=[[rediff.com]]|date= 1997|url= https://www.rediff.com/news/jul/17aai.htm|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200523162558/https://www.rediff.com/news/jul/17aai.htm|archive-date= 23 May 2020|url-status= live}}</ref>
<!-- + -->
<ref name="4survivors">{{citation |url=http://www.casa.gov.au/fsa/2006/dec/42-44.pdf |title=Mid-Air Disasters |work=Flight Safety Australia |date=November–December 2006 |access-date=10 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030114427/http://www.casa.gov.au/fsa/2006/dec/42-44.pdf |archive-date=30 October 2008 |page=42 |last=Job |first=Macarthur |url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="Indian Officials Gather Evidence on Midair Collision">{{cite news|title= Indian Officials Gather Evidence on Midair Collision|first= John F.|last= Burns|newspaper= [[The New York Times]]|date= 14 November 1996|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/14/world/indian-officials-gather-evidence-on-midair-collision.html?pagewanted=print&src=pm|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150103165051/http://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/14/world/indian-officials-gather-evidence-on-midair-collision.html?pagewanted=print&src=pm|archive-date= 3 January 2015|df= dmy-all}}&nbsp;</ref>
<ref name="One Jet in Crash Over India Ruled Off Course">{{cite news|title= One Jet in Crash Over India Ruled Off Course|first= John F.|last= Burns|newspaper= [[The New York Times]]|date= 5 May 1997|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/05/world/one-jet-in-crash-over-india-ruled-off-course.html|url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180303160858/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/05/world/one-jet-in-crash-over-india-ruled-off-course.html|archive-date= 3 March 2018}}</ref>
<!-- + -->
<ref name="Pilot error focus of India collision investigation">{{cite news |title=Pilot error focus of India collision investigation |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=14 November 1996 |location=New Delhi |url=http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9611/14/india/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000128142927/http://cnn.com/WORLD/9611/14/india/index.html |archive-date=28 January 2000}}</ref>
<ref name="Kazakh aircraft held responsible for Charkhi Dadri mishap">{{cite web|title= Kazakh aircraft held responsible for Charkhi Dadri mishap|website= www.rediff.com|date= 1997|url= https://www.rediff.com/news/jul/17aai.htm|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200523162558/https://www.rediff.com/news/jul/17aai.htm|archive-date= 23 May 2020|url-status= live}}</ref>
<ref name="collision report">{{harvnb|Lahoti|1997}}</ref>
<!-- + -->
<ref name=Deadliest>{{cite news |title=The truth behind the 10 deadliest plane crashes of all time |first=Hugh |last=Morris |date=12 July 2017 |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travel-truths/the-deadliest-aviation-plane-crashes-disasters-in-history/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523163241/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travel-truths/the-deadliest-aviation-plane-crashes-disasters-in-history/ |archive-date=23 May 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="One Jet in Crash Over India Ruled Off Course">{{cite news|title= One Jet in Crash Over India Ruled Off Course|first= John F.|last= Burns|newspaper= [[The New York Times]]|date= 5 May 1997|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/05/world/one-jet-in-crash-over-india-ruled-off-course.html|url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180303160858/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/05/world/one-jet-in-crash-over-india-ruled-off-course.html|archive-date= 3 March 2018|df= dmy-all}}</ref>
<ref name="Two Airliners Collide in Midair, Killing All 351 Aboard in India">{{cite news |title=Two Airliners Collide in Midair, Killing All 351 Aboard in India |last=Burns |first=John F. |work=The New York Times |date=13 November 1996 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/13/world/two-airliners-collide-in-midair-killing-all-351-aboard-in-india.html?pagewanted=print&src=pm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306143403/http://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/13/world/two-airliners-collide-in-midair-killing-all-351-aboard-in-india.html?pagewanted=print&src=pm |archive-date=6 March 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<!-- + -->
<ref name="Pilot error focus of India collision investigation">{{cite news|title= Pilot error focus of India collision investigation|work= [[CNN]]|date= 14 November 1996|location= New Delhi|url= http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9611/14/india/index.html|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20000128142927/http://cnn.com/WORLD/9611/14/india/index.html|archive-date= 28 January 2000}}</ref>
<!-- + -->
<ref name="The truth behind the 10 deadliest plane crashes of all time">{{cite news|title= The truth behind the 10 deadliest plane crashes of all time|first= Hugh|last= Morris|date= 12 July 2017|newspaper= [[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travel-truths/the-deadliest-aviation-plane-crashes-disasters-in-history/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200523163241/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travel-truths/the-deadliest-aviation-plane-crashes-disasters-in-history/|archive-date= 23 May 2020|url-status= live}}</ref>
<!-- + -->
<ref name="Two Airliners Collide in Midair, Killing All 351 Aboard in India">{{cite news|title= Two Airliners Collide in Midair, Killing All 351 Aboard in India|last= Burns|first= John F.|work= The New York Times|date= 13 November 1996|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/13/world/two-airliners-collide-in-midair-killing-all-351-aboard-in-india.html?pagewanted=print&src=pm|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140306143403/http://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/13/world/two-airliners-collide-in-midair-killing-all-351-aboard-in-india.html?pagewanted=print&src=pm|archive-date= 6 March 2014|url-status= live|df= dmy-all}}</ref>
<!-- + -->
<ref name="Turbulence factor gains ground in Charkhi-Dadri crash probe">{{cite news|title= Turbulence factor gains ground in Charkhi-Dadri crash probe|agency= [[United News of India]]|newspaper= [[The Indian Express]]|date= 26 May 1997|url= http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19970526/14650143.html|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090525101011/http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19970526/14650143.html|archive-date= 25 May 2009|url-status= dead}}</ref>
|30em}}
|30em}}


==Further reading==
=== Further reading ===
* {{cite report|last=Lahoti|first=Ramesh&nbsp;Chandra|author-link=Ramesh Chandra Lahoti|url=https://www.baaa-acro.com/sites/default/files/2020-12/HZ-AIH.pdf|title=Report of Court of Inquiry on Mid-Air Collision Between Saudi Arabian Boeing 747 and Kazakhstan IL-76 on 12th November, 1996 Near Delhi – India (Charkhi-Dadri, Haryana)|publisher=[[Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India)|Directorate General of Civil Aviation]], [[Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)|Ministry of Civil Aviation]]|date=15 July 1997 |access-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525230709/https://dgca.gov.in/digigov-portal/Upload?flag=iframeAttachView&attachId=130614975&mainAccidentReports|archive-date=25 May 2020}}
* {{interlanguage link|Anas al-Qawz|ar|أنس عبد الحميد القوز}}. ''{{interlanguage link|A Pilot's Encounters|ar|مواقف طيار (كتاب)}}''. Obeikan, 2000. {{in lang|ar}}: Book by a Saudi pilot which discusses this incident
* {{interlanguage link|Anas al-Qawz|ar|أنس عبد الحميد القوز}}. ''{{interlanguage link|A Pilot's Encounters|ar|مواقف طيار (كتاب)}}''. Obeikan, 2000. {{in lang|ar}}: Book by a Saudi pilot which discusses this incident
* Bhavya Dore. "[https://fiftytwo.in/story/collision/ Collision]". ''Fifty Two''. 9 October 2020.
* Bhavya Dore. "[https://fiftytwo.in/story/collision/ Collision]". ''Fifty Two''. 9 October 2020.
* "[https://web.archive.org/web/20011202064042/http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9611/14/india/index.html Pilot error focus of India collision investigation]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20011202064042/http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9611/14/india/index.html Archive]). [[CNN]]. 14 November 1996.


== External links ==
== External links ==
{{external media
{{external media
| align = right
| float = right
| width  =
| image1 = [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?keywords=hz-aih&page_limit=15&calccount=5&truecount=true&engine_version=6.0 Pre-Crash photos of the two airliners at Airliners.net]}}
| image1 = [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?aircraft_genericsearch=&airlinesearch=&countrysearch=&specialsearch=&daterange=&keywords=hz-aih&range=&sort_order=&page_limit=15&thumbnails=&calccount=5&truecount=true&engine_version=6.0 Pre-Crash photos of the two airliners at Airliners.net]}}
*[[Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India)|Directorate General of Civil Aviation]] [http://dgca.nic.in/circular/ops/Ops03_99.pdf OPERATIONS CIRCULAR NO.3 OF 1999] ({{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224021315/http://dgca.nic.in/circular/ops/Ops03_99.pdf |date=24 February 2012 }})
*[[Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India)|Directorate General of Civil Aviation]]
* "[https://web.archive.org/web/20020911221032/http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9611/12/india.air.crash/index.html Officials say hundreds feared killed in airline collision over India]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20020911221032/http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9611/12/india.air.crash/index.html Archive]). [[CNN]]. 12 November 1996.
** [https://dgca.gov.in/digigov-portal/?dynamicPage=dynamicPdf/130614975&mainAccidentReports/500005/0/viewApplicationDtlsReq Final Report]<!--Archive final report at https://web.archive.org/web/20200525230709/https://dgca.gov.in/digigov-portal/Upload?flag=iframeAttachView&attachId=130614975&mainAccidentReports -->
** [http://dgca.nic.in/circular/ops/Ops03_99.pdf OPERATIONS CIRCULAR NO.3 OF 1999] ({{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224021315/http://dgca.nic.in/circular/ops/Ops03_99.pdf |date=24 February 2012 }})
* "[https://web.archive.org/web/20020911221032/http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9611/12/india.air.crash/index.html Officials say hundreds feared killed in airline collision over India]" ([https://www.webcitation.org/6SCD3VG5R?url=http://web.archive.org/web/20020911221032/http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9611/12/india.air.crash/index.html Archive]). ''[[CNN]]''. 12 November 1996.
* "[https://web.archive.org/web/20011202064042/http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9611/14/india/index.html Pilot error focus of India collision investigation]" ([https://www.webcitation.org/6SCCzpZ5X?url=http://web.archive.org/web/20011202064042/http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9611/14/india/index.html Archive]). ''[[CNN]]''. 14 November 1996.
* Burns, John F. "[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0DE6DB163AF936A25752C1A960958260 Indian and Kazak Officials Trade Accusations in Air Collision]." ''[[The New York Times]]''. 15 November 1996.
* Burns, John F. "[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0DE6DB163AF936A25752C1A960958260 Indian and Kazak Officials Trade Accusations in Air Collision]." ''[[The New York Times]]''. 15 November 1996.
*Centre for Disaster Management (Haryana Institute of Public Administration)  [https://web.archive.org/web/20160223114256/http://www.cdmhipa.in/images/Case%20Study/casestudy.php Case Study: Charkhi Dadri Mid Air Collision]
* Centre for Disaster Management (Haryana Institute of Public Administration)  [https://web.archive.org/web/20160223114256/http://www.cdmhipa.in/images/Case%20Study/casestudy.php Case Study: Charkhi Dadri Mid Air Collision]
* [https://fiftytwo.in/story/collision/ New article on the crash]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YCr2i8bXkg Victims, crash site of the mid-air collision] from ''[[Associated Press]] Archive''
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YCr2i8bXkg Victims, crash site of the mid-air collision] from ''[[Associated Press]] Archive''


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|keywords=Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error, Accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 747, Aviation accidents and incidents in 1996, Aviation accidents and incidents in India, 1996 in India, Mid-air collisions, Mid-air collisions involving airliners, Accidents and incidents involving the Ilyushin Il-76, Kazakhstan Airlines accidents and incidents, Saudia accidents and incidents, 1990s in Haryana, November 1996 events in Asia, Charkhi Dadri district
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[[Category:Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error]]
[[Category:Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error]]
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[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in India]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in India]]
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[[Category:Mid-air collisions]]
[[Category:Mid-air collisions involving airliners]]
[[Category:Mid-air collisions involving airliners]]
[[Category:Accidents and incidents involving the Ilyushin Il-76]]
[[Category:Mid-air collisions in Asia]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Ilyushin Il-76]]
[[Category:Kazakhstan Airlines accidents and incidents]]
[[Category:Kazakhstan Airlines accidents and incidents]]
[[Category:Saudia accidents and incidents]]
[[Category:Saudia accidents and incidents]]
[[Category:1990s in Haryana]]
[[Category:1990s in Haryana]]
[[Category:November 1996 events in Asia]]
[[Category:November 1996 in India]]
[[Category:Charkhi Dadri district]]
[[Category:Charkhi Dadri district]]
[[Category:Disasters in Haryana]]

Latest revision as of 04:37, 20 February 2026


1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision
Saudia Flight 763 · Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907
File:Firefighters at the wreckage site of Flight 763.jpg
Firefighters at the crash site of Flight 763
Accident
Date12 November 1996 (1996-11-12)
SummaryMid-air collision due to pilot error
SiteCharkhi Dadri, Haryana, India
28°33′38″N 76°18′15″E / 28.56056°N 76.30417°E / 28.56056; 76.30417
Total fatalities349
Total survivors0
First aircraft

HZ-AIH, the Boeing 747-168B involved in the collision, seen in 1986
TypeBoeing 747-168B
OperatorSaudia
IATA flight No.SV763
ICAO flight No.SVA763
Call signSAUDIA 763
RegistrationHZ-AIH
Flight originIndira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, India
StopoverDhahran International Airport, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
DestinationKing Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Occupants312
Passengers289
Crew23
Fatalities312
Survivors0
Second aircraft

UN-76435, the Ilyushin Il-76TD involved in the collision, seen in 1994
TypeIlyushin Il-76TD
OperatorKazakhstan Airlines
IATA flight No.KZ1907
ICAO flight No.KZA1907
Call signKAZAKH 1907
RegistrationUN-76435
Flight originChimkent Airport, Kazakhstan
DestinationIndira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, India
Occupants37
Passengers27
Crew10
Fatalities37
Survivors0

On 12 November 1996, Saudia Flight 763, a Boeing 747 en route from Delhi, India, to Jeddah, with a stopover in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907, an Ilyushin Il-76 en route from Chimkent, Kazakhstan, to Delhi, collided over the city of Charkhi Dadri, around 100 km (62 mi; 54 nmi) west of Delhi. The crash killed all 349 people on board both planes, making it the world's deadliest mid-air collision,[1][2] the deadliest aviation accident without survivors, and the deadliest aviation accident ever in India.[3][4] The final report from the investigation revealed that the Kazakh crew's failure to maintain the correct altitude led to the collision.[5] Contributing factors included the poor English language skills in the Kazakh cockpit, resulting in inadequate interpretation of directions provided by air traffic control, and three specific incidents of failures in crew resource management (CRM) by the Kazakh crew.[6] The investigators noted the Indian airport lacked a secondary surveillance radar; the airport only had a primary radar, which produced readings of distance and bearing, but not altitude.[7] The report also suggested technical enhancements (including ACAS and SSR) that would provide assistance in preventing a future crew's mistakes from being allowed to go unchecked in real time.[8]

Aircraft involved[edit | edit source]

Saudia Flight 763[edit | edit source]

Saudia Flight 763 was a Boeing 747-168B, registration HZ-AIH, departing from Delhi as part of a scheduled international Delhi–Dhahran–Jeddah passenger service with 312 people on board.[9] The crew on this flight consisted of Captain Khalid al-Shubaily (aged 45), First Officer Nazir Khan (aged 37), and Flight Engineer Ahmed Edrees (aged 33). Al-Shubaily was a veteran pilot with 9,837 flying hours.[10]

There is some dispute as to the nationalities of the passengers of Flight 763. According to an article published on 14 November 1996, 215 Indians, many of whom worked in Saudi Arabia as blue-collar workers, boarded the flight, along with 40 Nepalis and three Americans.[11] However, according to a different article, the passenger manifest included 17 people of other nationalities, including nine Nepalis, three Pakistanis, two Americans, one Bangladeshi, one British, and one Saudi.[4] Twelve of the crew members, including five anti-terrorism officials, were Saudi Arabian citizens.[12]

Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907[edit | edit source]

Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907, an Ilyushin Il-76TD with registration UN-76435, was on a charter service from Chimkent Airport to Delhi. The crew consisted of Captain Alexander Robertovich Cherepanov (aged 44), First Officer Ermek Kozhahmetovich Dzhangirov (aged 37), Flight Engineer Alexander Alexanderovich Chuprov (aged 50), Navigator Zhahanbek Duisenovich Aripbaev (aged 51), and Radio Operator Egor Alekseevich Repp (aged 41).[13][10] Cherepanov was highly experienced, with 9,229 flight hours.[14]

A company from Kyrgyzstan chartered the flight, and the passenger manifest mostly included ethnic Russian Kyrgyz citizens planning to go shopping in India.[4][13][11] Thirteen Kyrgyz traders boarded the flight.[12]

Accident[edit | edit source]

Saudia Flight 763 departed Delhi at 18:32 local time (13:02 UTC). Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907 was descending simultaneously to land at Delhi.[9] Both flights were controlled by approach controller V.K. Dutta.[10] Immediately after take-off, the Saudia flight was cleared to an initial altitude of 10,000 feet (3,050 m). At 18:34, Dutta cleared the Kazakh plane to descend to 15,000 feet (4,550 m) when it was 74 nautical miles (137 km) from the beacon of the destination airport. Two minutes later, at 18:36, Dutta cleared the Saudia plane, travelling on the same airway but in the opposite direction, to climb to 14,000 feet (4,250 m). At 18:38, the Saudia crew reported reaching 14,000 feet and requested a higher level. Dutta told them to hold their altitude and standby, to which First Officer Khan replied, "Saudi 763 will maintain one four zero."[10]

At 18:39, the Kazakh flight reported having reached its assigned altitude of 15,000 feet, but it was actually higher, at 16,348 feet (5,000 m), and still descending.[15][10] At this time, Dutta advised the flight, "Identified traffic 12 O'Clock, reciprocal, Saudia Boeing 747 at ten miles, likely to cross in another five miles. Report, if in sight."[10] Radio Operator Repp requested clarification, to which Dutta replied, "Traffic ... is at eight miles, level 140."[10] Repp acknowledged the update, and signed off with, "Now looking 1907."[10]

Less than a minute later, at 18:40, the crew of a United States Air Force cargo flight made a radio call saying they had seen "a big explosion" at their two o'clock position.[10] Dutta attempted to contact the Saudia and Kazakh flights but received no response. The two aircraft had collided, with the left wing of the Kazakh flight slicing through the left wing of the Saudia 747 while the left horizontal stabilizer of the 747 sliced off the vertical stabilizer (including the horizontal stabilizer) of the Kazakh flight.[citation needed] The crippled Saudi Boeing immediately lost control and went into a rapidly descending spiral with fire trailing from the wing and broke up mid-air before crashing to the ground at a nearly supersonic speed of 1,135 km/h (613 kn; 705 mph). With most of its left wing and vertical stabilizer gone, the Ilyushin went into a flat spin and crashed into a field at a flat attitude near the wreckage of the Saudia plane. All 312 people on board Saudia Flight 763 and all 37 people on Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907 were killed.[16]

The recorder of the Saudi Arabian plane revealed the pilots said the Islamic Istighfar (forgiveness prayer) and recited the Shahada before impact with the ground.[10]

The collision took place about 100 kilometres (60 mi) west of Delhi.[17] The wreckage of the Saudi Arabian aircraft landed near Dhani village, Bhiwani District, Haryana. The wreckage of the Kazakh aircraft hit the ground near Birohar village, Rohtak District, Haryana.[14]

Investigation and final report[edit | edit source]

The crash was investigated by the Lahoti Commission, headed by then-Delhi High Court judge Ramesh Chandra Lahoti. Depositions were taken from the Air Traffic Controllers Guild and the two airlines. The flight data recorders (FDR) were decoded by Kazakhstan Airlines and Saudia under the supervision of air crash investigators in Moscow and Farnborough, England, respectively.[7] The ultimate cause was held to be the failure of Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907's pilot to follow ATC instructions, whether due to cloud turbulence or due to communication problems.[10][18][19]

The commission determined that the accident had been the fault of the Kazakhstani Il-76 crew, who (according to FDR evidence) had descended from the assigned altitude of 15,000 to 14,500 feet (4,550 to 4,400 m) and subsequently 14,000 feet (4,250 m) and even lower. The report ascribed the cause of this serious breach in operating procedure to the lack of English language skills on the part of the Kazakhstan aircraft pilots; they were relying entirely on Radio Operator Repp for communications with the ATC. As part of this, the report suggested that First Officer Dzhangirov (and possibly Captain Cherepanov) might have misunderstood Dutta's final radio call, and assumed that the Saudi 747's altitude (14,000 feet) was their own assigned altitude.[10] Indian air controllers also complained that the Kazakhstani pilots sometimes confused their calculations because they are accustomed to using metre altitudes and kilometre distances, while most other countries use feet and nautical miles, respectively, for aerial navigation.[20] Although the crew in this particular collision did not appear to have made a computational error, Kazakhstan Airlines did not have enough foot-marked altimeters for all crewmembers. Repp did not have his own flight instrumentation and had to look over the pilots' shoulders for a reading, which likely limited his own situational awareness.[21]

Kazakh officials claimed such a misunderstanding was implausible because they claimed that their records showed Dzhangirov sufficiently fluent to teach English to other Kazakh pilots at the time. Instead, they concluded – from the Kazakhstani plane's misleading flight data records – that the aircraft had descended while their pilots were battling turbulence inside a bank of cumulus clouds.[10][18] Meteorological reports,[21] the affidavits of a Lockheed C-141B Starlifter crew that observed the crash,[22] and conclusive analysis by the investigators – showing that the specific flight data record the Kazakh officials focused on proved only that the record was based on faulty recording equipment on the plane[23] – disproved the Kazakh theory that turbulence was to blame.[7]

However, whether or not particular crewmembers fully understood the radio transmissions or were distracted by atmospheric conditions, the five-person crew was sufficiently large that it likely struggled to maintain common situational awareness and coordinate crew actions.[clarification needed]

Just a few seconds before impact, Repp had realised that the pilots were flying below the required 15,000 feet (4,600 m) and brought it to their attention. Cherepanov gave orders for full throttle, and the plane climbed, only to hit the oncoming Saudi Arabian plane. The tail of the Kazakhstani plane clipped the left wing of the Saudi Arabian jet, severing both parts from their respective planes.

Furthermore, the investigation team noted that the Indira Gandhi International Airport did not have secondary surveillance radar, which provides extra information, such as the aircraft's identity and altitude, by reading transponder signals; instead, the airport had a primary radar, which produces readings of distance and bearing, but not altitude. In addition, departures and arrivals both shared a single corridor within the civilian airspace around New Delhi. While most areas have separate corridors – one for departures and another one for arrivals – the airspace of Delhi in 1996 had only one civilian corridor for both departures and arrivals because much of the airspace was taken by the Indian Air Force. Moreover, neither plane was equipped with a traffic collision avoidance system, which would have alerted crew on both flights.[7]

Due to the crash, the air crash investigation report recommended changes to air traffic procedures and infrastructure in New Delhi's airspace:[10]

  • Separation of inbound and outbound aircraft through the creation of 'air corridors'
  • Installation of a secondary air-traffic control radar for aircraft altitude data
  • Mandatory collision avoidance equipment on commercial aircraft operating in Indian airspace
  • Reduction of the airspace over New Delhi that was formerly under exclusive control of the Indian Air Force

Aftermath[edit | edit source]

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation subsequently made it mandatory for all aircraft flying in and out of India to be equipped with an airborne collision avoidance system. This set a worldwide precedent for mandatory use of traffic collision avoidance systems.[24]

As of 2021, there is an ongoing effort by the Charkhi Dadri district administration to develop[needs update] a memorial honoring the victims of the mid-air collision. The proposed memorial, which would consist of names and other information of the victims, would be located at a to-be-built memorial park in the district. However, the district administration is waiting to get an approval for the project from the Haryana government, and plans to include the participation of the Ministry of Civil Aviation of India, Airport Authority of India, and the embassies of Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan in the development of the memorial.[25]

Documentaries[edit | edit source]

Miditech, a company based in Gurugram, Haryana, produced a documentary about the disaster called Head On!, which aired on the National Geographic Channel.[7]

The collision was also the subject of the 2009 episode "Sight Unseen", of the Canadian-made, internationally distributed documentary series Mayday.[23]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

Citations[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Cooper, Kenneth J. (13 November 1996). "At Least 349 Are Killed in Collision". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013.
  2. ↑ Ashraf, Syed Firdaus. "Charkhi Dadri collision report expected this weekend". Rediff. New Delhi. Archived from the original on 10 April 2014.
  3. ↑ "India air safety profile". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Burns, John F. (13 November 1996). "Two Airliners Collide in Midair, Killing All 351 Aboard in India". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 March 2014.
  5. ↑ Lahoti 1997, p. VII
  6. ↑ Lahoti 1997, p. VII
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Head On – AirCrash (TV documentary). Miditech. Archived from the original on 23 March 2007.
  8. ↑ Lahoti 1997, pp. VIII, XIII
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Kingsley-Jones, Max; Learmount, David (20 September 1996). "Collision raises doubts on ATC routeings". Flightglobal. Flight International. Archived from the original on 1 January 2015.
  10. ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 Lahoti 1997
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Burns, John F. (14 November 1996). "Indian Officials Gather Evidence on Midair Collision". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 January 2015.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Pilot error focus of India collision investigation". New Delhi: CNN. 14 November 1996. Archived from the original on 28 January 2000.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Burns, John F. (5 May 1997). "One Jet in Crash Over India Ruled Off Course". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Civil aviation aircraft accident summary for the year 1996 (PDF) (Report). Directorate General of Civil Aviation. p. 8/18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 January 2015.
  15. ↑ Accident description for Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907 at the Aviation Safety Network
  16. ↑ Job, Macarthur (November–December 2006), "Mid-Air Disasters" (PDF), Flight Safety Australia, p. 42, archived from the original (PDF) on 30 October 2008, retrieved 10 September 2009
  17. ↑ Bellamy, Christopher (13 November 1996). "Human error is blamed for crash". The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 February 2014.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Kazakh aircraft held responsible for Charkhi Dadri mishap". rediff.com. 1997. Archived from the original on 23 May 2020.
  19. ↑ Morris, Hugh (12 July 2017). "The truth behind the 10 deadliest plane crashes of all time". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 23 May 2020.
  20. ↑ McGirk, Tim (14 November 1996). "THE INDIAN AIR CRASH: Tapes point blame at Kazakh pilot". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 May 2019.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Communication gap caused Charkhi Dadri mishap". Rediff. 26 May 1997. Archived from the original on 7 October 1999. Retrieved 4 July 2006.
  22. ↑ "Charkhi Dadri collision occurred in "heavy clouds": US pilot". Rediff. Archived from the original on 11 October 1999. Retrieved 4 July 2006.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 "Sight Unseen". Mayday. Discovery Channel Canada et al. No. 4, season 7.
  24. ↑ "History & future of airborne collision avoidance". Eurocontrol. 9 March 2012. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  25. ↑ "Haryana's Charkhi Dadri plans a memorial for 1996 mid-air collision victims". The Times of India. 4 March 2021. Archived from the original on 18 February 2024.

Further reading[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

External image
Pre-Crash photos of the two airliners at Airliners.net

Template:Aviation accidents and incidents in India Template:Aviation incidents and accidents in 1996

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