2007 Bangalore plane crash
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Bangalore plane crash occurred on September 8, 2007, when a Partenavia P.68C
aircraft, owned by Joy Alukkas Group
, crashed into Gowdanapalya Lake, near Bangalore
, INDIA
. All four aboard the plane were killed, including three pilots: flying officer Santosh Kumar, Sunil Joseph and Mohammed Shabbeer who died instantaneously, and Co-pilot K Shanmugam who died in NIMHANS
hospital.
hangar to the HAL Airport for fueling. At 3.35 p.m(IST), the aircraft departed to Cochin International Airport
.The six-seater Vulcanair Partenavia plane was coming to Kochi to pick Joy Alukkas
, a Kerala
based businessman and take him to Thiruvananthapuram
for his business purposes. Five minutes after the take-off, the pilot reported the ATC
about a technical snag and wanted to return immediately. The aircraft was flying low in bad weather conditions and hit a coconut palm before it nosedived into the lake bed.
to determine the cause of the crash. The preliminary findings of the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) team inquiring into the crash of the six-seater plane have revealed that an engine seizure was the cause of the crash. Avgas 100LL
is the fuel for this twin-engine aircraft but investigation team found traces of Aviation Turbine Fuel
from the wreckage. While ATF is used for turbine-powered aircraft, Avgas is the gasoline meant for reciprocating piston engine aircraft like this plane. The Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) is colourless while the Avgas 100LL is blue dyed. The aircraft was not equipped with a Flight Data Recorder
.
The investigating team also inspected the Indian Oil Corporation
(IOC) records at the HAL Airport. IOC supplies aviation fuel to the HAL airport.
This tragedy raised concerns regarding the absence of a proper safety culture and safety mentality of Indian aviation.
Partenavia P.68
-See also:...
aircraft, owned by Joy Alukkas Group
Joy Alukkas
Joy Alukkas is an Indian entrepreneur from Thrissur City in Kerala state of India. He is the Managing Director of Joyalukkas India Limited and Chairman of Joyalukkas Jewellery LLC, Dubai, a gold and diamond retail jewellery chain....
, crashed into Gowdanapalya Lake, near Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, INDIA
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. All four aboard the plane were killed, including three pilots: flying officer Santosh Kumar, Sunil Joseph and Mohammed Shabbeer who died instantaneously, and Co-pilot K Shanmugam who died in NIMHANS
NIMHANS
The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences is located in Bangalore, and is the premier neuroscience institute of India. It is recognised by the Government of India as a 'medical institute of national importance'...
hospital.
Crash
Partenavia P.68C aircraft took off from Jakkur Flying ClubJakkur Airfield
Jakkur Airfield is a general purpose airport serving Bangalore, Karnataka in India. It is the only dedicated general aviation field in Bengaluru. The other three airports are either private , military or dedicated to commercial operations . The airport is owned by the Government Flying Training...
hangar to the HAL Airport for fueling. At 3.35 p.m(IST), the aircraft departed to Cochin International Airport
Cochin International Airport
Cochin International Airport is an international airport located in Nedumbassery, a suburb on the outskirts of the city of Kochi about northeast of downtown Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is the busiest and largest airport in the state of Kerala...
.The six-seater Vulcanair Partenavia plane was coming to Kochi to pick Joy Alukkas
Joy Alukkas
Joy Alukkas is an Indian entrepreneur from Thrissur City in Kerala state of India. He is the Managing Director of Joyalukkas India Limited and Chairman of Joyalukkas Jewellery LLC, Dubai, a gold and diamond retail jewellery chain....
, a Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
based businessman and take him to Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
for his business purposes. Five minutes after the take-off, the pilot reported the ATC
ATC
- Military :* Air Training Command, the predecessor to Air Education and Training Command in the United States Air Force* New Zealand Air Training Corps* Air Training Corps, United Kingdom...
about a technical snag and wanted to return immediately. The aircraft was flying low in bad weather conditions and hit a coconut palm before it nosedived into the lake bed.
Investigation
ATC and Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) officials inspected the crash site to procure the black boxBlack box
A black box is a device, object, or system whose inner workings are unknown; only the input, transfer, and output are known characteristics.The term black box can also refer to:-In science and technology:*Black box theory, a philosophical theory...
to determine the cause of the crash. The preliminary findings of the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) team inquiring into the crash of the six-seater plane have revealed that an engine seizure was the cause of the crash. Avgas 100LL
Avgas
Avgas is an aviation fuel used to power piston-engine aircraft. Avgas is distinguished from mogas , which is the everyday gasoline used in cars and some non-commercial light aircraft...
is the fuel for this twin-engine aircraft but investigation team found traces of Aviation Turbine Fuel
Jet fuel
Jet fuel is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is clear to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for commercial aviation are Jet A and Jet A-1 which are produced to a standardized international specification...
from the wreckage. While ATF is used for turbine-powered aircraft, Avgas is the gasoline meant for reciprocating piston engine aircraft like this plane. The Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) is colourless while the Avgas 100LL is blue dyed. The aircraft was not equipped with a Flight Data Recorder
Flight data recorder
A flight data recorder is an electronic device employed to record any instructions sent to any electronic systems on an aircraft. It is a device used to record specific aircraft performance parameters...
.
The investigating team also inspected the Indian Oil Corporation
Indian Oil Corporation
Indian Oil Corporation Limited, or IndianOil, is an Indian state-owned oil and gas corporation with its headquarters are in Mumbai, India. It is India’s largest commercial enterprise, ranked 98th on the Fortune Global 500 list for 2011...
(IOC) records at the HAL Airport. IOC supplies aviation fuel to the HAL airport.
This tragedy raised concerns regarding the absence of a proper safety culture and safety mentality of Indian aviation.