Indian plane crashes have claimed 2500 lives since 1960, RTI reveals

Times of India: New Delhi: Friday, 07 November 2014.

Since 1960 a total of around 2,500 persons including crew members were killed in accidents involving flights within the country and fatal crashes by Indian flights abroad.

In response to an RTI application filed by a Delhi-based resident Ved Pal, the civil aviation ministry has said that while the investigation reports of all accidents have already been submitted, three committees of inquiries are yet to submit their report on the accidents that have taken place from July 2012. According to the information provided by the ministry eight persons were killed in these incidents.

The ministry has said that the mode of investigation into all incidents that took place between 1979 and 2009 are on the website of directorate general of civil aviation. "From year 2010 to July 2012 one court of inquiry and 10 committees have been formed," the RTI response mentioned.

The air accident investigation bureau (AIIB), which was formed in July 2012 has submitted that since its inception eight persons have died in "three aeroplane" accidents. "Three committees of inquiries have been appointed by Government of India to investigate the cause of the accidents. All three investigations are in progress," AIBB said in response to the RTI application.

Some of the major crashes that are in the list include the "Emperor Ashoka" in 1978, which claimed 213 lives of passengers and crews. The year 1996 recorded maximum fatalities of 358 persons including crew members. A total of seven accidents were reported during that year including mid-air collision between Saudi Arabian Boeing 747 and Kazakhstan IL-76 aircraft near Delhi in November. Five of the accidents were non-fatal.

The year 1985 saw the second highest death toll of air passengers in the country and a total of 331 passengers and crew members were killed that year. The data compiled from the details available on DGCA website shows that 155 aircrafts were completely destroyed in accidents between 1960 and 2009 while another 511 were substantially damaged.