Top 10 Deadliest Plane Crashes in India and What Caused Them!

The tragic crash of an Air India Boeing 787 on June 12, 2025, has once again brought the spotlight back on aviation safety in India. As investigations continue and families grieve, the incident serves as a grim reminder of past air disasters that have scarred the nation’s skies.

Over the decades, India has witnessed several devastating plane crashes, each leaving behind a trail of sorrow, unanswered questions, and critical safety reforms. From pilot errors and poor weather conditions to mechanical failures and miscommunication, these incidents have shaped the country’s aviation protocols.

In this article, we revisit 10 of the most significant plane crash incidents in Indian aviation history, detailing the airline, aircraft, number of passengers, crash locations, probable causes, and casualties.

10 Plane Crashes That Shook the Nation

1. Air India Flight AI‑171 (June 12, 2025)

India woke up to a tragedy as an Air India Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, sending shockwaves across the nation. The cause is still under investigation.

• Airline / Aircraft: Air India Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner
• Mode: Scheduled international flight (Ahmedabad → London Gatwick)
• Passengers & Crew: 242 (230 passengers, 12 crew)
• Location: Shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport, Ahmedabad, crashing into Meghani Nagar
• Reason: Unknown—Mayday call moments before crash; investigation ongoing
• Casualties: Multiple fatalities (over 200 still being confirmed)

Loss of thrust. No lift. Losing power.

That was the pilot’s chilling final May Day call before the crash.#PlaneCrash #MayDay #Aviation pic.twitter.com/t1GIZMLqUK

— travelobiz (@travelobiz) June 13, 2025

2. Air India Express Flight IX-1344 (Aug 7, 2020)

This crash during a repatriation flight amid the COVID-19 pandemic raised serious concerns about operating under monsoon conditions at Kozhikode’s tabletop runway.

• Airline / Aircraft: Air India Express Boeing 737‑8HG
• Mode: Dubai → Kozhikode repatriation flight
• Passengers & Crew: 190 (184 passengers, 6 crew)
• Location: Skidded off the tabletop runway at Kozhikode in heavy rain
• Reason: Pilot error in adverse weather—overshot runway
• Casualties: 21 deaths (19 passengers + both pilots), 110 injured

3. Air India Express Flight 812 (May 22, 2010)

One of India’s worst aviation disasters, Air India Express Flight 812 crash highlighted the risks of unstable approaches at airports surrounded by hilly terrain and limited runway space.

• Airline / Aircraft: Air India Express Boeing 737‑800
• Mode: International – Dubai → Mangalore
• Passengers & Crew: 166 (160 passengers, 6 crew)
• Location: Overshot runway at Mangalore Airport, fell down slope
• Reason: Unstabilised approach; the captain ignored go-around calls
• Casualties: 158 killed, 8 survivors

4. Indian Airlines Flight 605 (Feb 14, 1990)

This tragic accident near the Bangalore Golf Club emphasised the dangers of misconfigured flight systems and pilot overreliance on automation during descent.

• Airline / Aircraft: Indian Airlines Airbus A320‑231
• Mode: Domestic – Mumbai → Bangalore
• Passengers & Crew: 146 (139 passengers, 7 crew)
• Location: Crashed on a golf course near Hindustan Airport, Bangalore
• Reason: Flight control mode misselection, continued descent unsafely
• Casualties: 92 killed, 54 injured

5. Alliance Air Flight 7412 (July 17, 2000)

As the aircraft crashed into a crowded neighbourhood in Patna, this accident raised concerns about pilot training and emergency preparedness at regional airports.

• Airline / Aircraft: Alliance Air Boeing 737‑200
• Mode: Domestic – Kolkata → Delhi (via Patna stopover)
• Passengers & Crew: 58 (52 passengers, 6 crew)
• Location: Crashed into a residential area near Patna Airport
• Reason: Pilot error—incorrect stall and go-around management
• Casualties: 60 died (55 onboard, 5 on ground); 3 onboard survived

6. Charkhi Dadri Mid‑Air Collision (Nov 12, 1996)

India witnessed its deadliest aviation disaster when two international flights Saudia and Kazakhstan Airlines collided mid-air due to communication errors and a lack of collision-avoidance technology.

• Airline / Aircraft: Saudia Boeing 747 & Kazakhstan Airlines Ilyushin Il‑76
• Mode: Saudia (Delhi→Dhahran), Kazakhstan (Chimkent→Delhi)
• Passengers & Crew: 349 total (312 + 37)
• Location: Over Charkhi Dadri, Haryana
• Reason: Kazakhstan crew descended wrongly; no ACAS present
• Casualties: All 349 on both planes killed; no survivors

7. Indian Airlines Flight 440 (May 31, 1973)

This early commercial aviation tragedy underscored the importance of safe landing protocols and marked one of Delhi’s deadliest aviation incidents in the 1970s.

• Airline / Aircraft: Indian Airlines Boeing 737
• Mode: Domestic – Delhi → Bombay
• Passengers & Crew: 65 occupied;
• Location: Approached Palam Airport, Delhi
• Reason: Pilot error on landing
• Casualties: 48 died, 17 survived

8. Indian Airlines Flight 171 (Oct 12, 1976)

An engine fire shortly after takeoff turned catastrophic, revealing the urgent need for more robust in-flight fire control systems in Indian civil aviation.

• Airline / Aircraft: Indian Airlines Caravelle (?)
• Mode: Domestic – Bombay flight
• Passengers & Crew: 95 onboard
• Location: Crashed off Bombay following engine fire
• Reason: Uncontained engine failure led to an in-flight fire

9. Air India Flight 855 (Jan 1, 1978)

What began as a routine New Year’s Day Air India’s flight 855 ended in disaster after the crew suffered spatial disorientation due to instrument failure, plunging into the Arabian Sea.

• Airline / Aircraft: Air India Boeing 747‑168B
• Mode: Mumbai → Dubai → onward flights
• Passengers & Crew: 213 onboard
• Location: Crashed into the Arabian Sea post takeoff from Mumbai
• Reason: Pilot spatial disorientation after instrument failure.
• Casualties: All 213 on board died

10. Indian Airlines Flight IC‑113 (Feb 14, 1993)

This crash during the approach to Bombay airport spotlighted flaws in cockpit decision-making and led to major changes in pilot training procedures nationwide.

• Airline / Aircraft: Indian Airlines Boeing 737
• Mode: Domestic – Delhi → Bombay
• Passengers & Crew: 69 (assuming full capacity)
• Location: Crashed during approach to Bombay
• Reason: Pilot error
• Casualties: All 69 on board were killed

Final Thoughts

From today’s horrifying Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad to historic mid-air collisions and runway overruns, these tragedies reflect a range of causes: pilot error, poor weather, equipment failures, and procedural missteps. They underscore the crucial importance of ongoing vigilance, training, infrastructure upgrades, and safety technologies like ACAS/TCAS.