Air India Flight 403

1982 aviation accident

Air India Flight 403
Accident
The aircraft involved in the accident, 1976.
Date	21 June 1982
Summary	Pilot error; inclement weather as a contributing factor
Site	Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Bombay now (Mumbai), India
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Boeing 707–437
Aircraft name	Gauri Shankar
Operator	Air India
Registration	VT-DJJ
Flight origin	Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Kuala Lumpur
Stopover	Madras International Airport, Madras (now Chennai)
Destination	Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Bombay (now Mumbai)
Occupants	111
Passengers	99
Crew	12
Fatalities	17
Injuries	25
Survivors	94

Air India Flight 403 was a scheduled Air India passenger flight that crashed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Bombay, India on 21 June 1982. It was likely caused by miscalculated altitude in a heavy rainstorm. The aircraft was the first jetliner inducted into the fleet of an Asian airline.

Accident

On 21 June 1982, Air India Flight 403, a Boeing 707-437 (registered VT-DJJ) named Gauri Shankar, arriving from Kuala Lumpur International Airport via Madras (now Chennai), crashed after a hard landing during a rainstorm.^[1] The fuselage exploded after starting a late go-around. Of 111 occupants on the aircraft, 2 of 12 crew members and 15 of 99 passengers were killed.^[2]^[3]

Investigation

An Indian public inquiry determined the probable cause of the crash to be "Deliberate reduction of engine power by the pilot 12 seconds prior to first impact due to altitude unawareness resulting in a high rate of descent, very heavy landing and the undershooting of the aircraft by 1300 feet."^[4]

References

^ Mendis, Sean (26 July 2004). "Air India : The story of the aircraft". Airwhiners.net. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
^ "Accident Database: Accident Synopsis 06221982". airdisaster.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^ "Air India plane crashes". www.airsafe.com. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 707-437 VT-DJJ Bombay-Santacruz Airport (BOM)". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 25 May 2020.

Aviation accidents and incidents in India

1950s

BOAC Flight 783 (May 1953)
Dan-Air Avro York crash (May 1958)

1960s

Alitalia Flight 771 (July 1962)
United Arab Airlines Flight 869 (July 1963)
Poonch IAF helicopter crash (July 1963)
Gujarat Beechcraft incident (September 1965)
Indian Air Force An-32 crash (February 1968)
Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 892 (May 1968)

1970s

1971 Indian Airlines hijacking (January 1971)
Japan Air Lines Flight 471 (June 1972)
Japan Air Lines Flight 472 (September 1972)
Indian Airlines Flight 440 (May 1973)
Nepal plane hijack (June 1973)
Indian Airlines Flight 171 (January 1976)
Air India Flight 855 (January 1978)
Indian Airlines Flight 403 (December 1978)
Indian Airlines Flight 410 (December 1978)

1980s

Indian Airlines Flight 423 (September 1981)
Air India Flight 403 (June 1982)
Indian Airlines Flight 405 (July 1984)
Indian Airlines Flight 421 (August 1984)
1986 Indian Air Force An-32 disappearance
Pan Am Flight 73 (September 1986)
Indian Airlines Flight 113 (October 1988)
Indian Airlines Flight 605 (February 1990)

1990s

Indian Airlines Flight 257 (August 1991)
Indian Airlines Flight 427 (April 1993)
Indian Airlines Flight 491 (April 1993)
Indira Gandhi Airport collision (March 1994)
Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision (November 1996)
Indian Airlines Flight 503 (July 1998)
Pakistan Breguet 1150 Atlantic shootdown (August 1999)
Indian Airlines Flight 814 (December 1999)
Alliance Air Flight 7412 (July 2000)

2000s

Jalandhar MiG-21 crash (May 2002)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister helicopter crash (September 2009)
Air India Express Flight 812 (May 2010)

2010s

Pawan Hans Mi-17 crash (April 2011)
Indian Air Force An-32 crash (July 2016)
UY Aviation King Air C90 crash (June 2018)
Air India Express Flight 611 (October 2018)
Indian Air Force An-32 crash (June 2019)

2020s

Air India Express Flight 1344 (August 2020)
Indian Air Force Mil Mi-17 crash December 2021)
Rajasthan MiG-21 crash (May 2023)
Chetak Helicopter Crash at INS Garuda (November 2023)

v t e Aviation accidents and incidents in 1982 (1982)
Jan 13 Air Florida Flight 90 Jan 18 Thunderbirds Indian Springs "Diamond Crash" Jan 23 World Airways Flight 30 Feb 6 Korean Air Force C-123 crash Feb 9 Japan Air Lines Flight 350 Feb 21 Pilgrim Airlines Flight 458 Mar 11 Widerøe Flight 933 Mar 20 Garuda Fokker F28 crash Mar 26 Aeropesca Colombia Flight 217 Apr 26 CAAC Flight 3303 May 25 RAF Jaguar shootdown incident Jun 6 British Army Gazelle friendly fire incident Jun 8 VASP Flight 168 Jun 12 TABA Fairchild FH-227 accident Jun 21 Air India Flight 403 Jun 24 British Airways Flight 009 Jun 28 Aeroflot Flight 8641 Jul 6 Aeroflot Flight 411 Jul 9 Pan Am Flight 759 Jul 23 Twilight Zone accident Aug 11 Pan Am Flight 830 Aug 26 Southwest Air Lines Flight 611 Sep 1 Aerocondor DHC-4 Caribou accident Sep 13 Spantax Flight 995 Sep 13 Bristow Helicopters Bell 212 accident Sep 17 Japan Airlines Flight 792 Sep 29 Aeroflot Flight 343 Dec 9 Aeronor Flight 304 Dec 24 CAAC Flight 2311
1981 ◄ ► 1983

Aviation accidents and incidents in 1982 (1982)

Jan 13

Air Florida Flight 90

Jan 18

Thunderbirds Indian Springs "Diamond Crash"

Jan 23

World Airways Flight 30

Feb 6

Korean Air Force C-123 crash

Feb 9

Japan Air Lines Flight 350

Feb 21

Pilgrim Airlines Flight 458

Mar 11

Widerøe Flight 933

Mar 20

Garuda Fokker F28 crash

Mar 26

Aeropesca Colombia Flight 217

Apr 26

CAAC Flight 3303

May 25

RAF Jaguar shootdown incident

Jun 6

British Army Gazelle friendly fire incident

Jun 8

VASP Flight 168

Jun 12

TABA Fairchild FH-227 accident

Jun 21

Air India Flight 403

Jun 24

British Airways Flight 009

Jun 28

Aeroflot Flight 8641

Jul 6

Aeroflot Flight 411

Jul 9

Pan Am Flight 759

Jul 23

Twilight Zone accident

Aug 11

Pan Am Flight 830

Aug 26

Southwest Air Lines Flight 611

Sep 1

Aerocondor DHC-4 Caribou accident

Sep 13

Spantax Flight 995

Sep 13

Bristow Helicopters Bell 212 accident

Sep 17

Japan Airlines Flight 792

Sep 29

Aeroflot Flight 343

Dec 9

Aeronor Flight 304

Dec 24

CAAC Flight 2311

1981 ◄ ► 1983

Air India

Parent

Services

Operational	Air India fleet destinations Air India Express fleet destinations Air India One AIX Connect fleet destinations
Defunct	Air India Cargo Indian Airlines
Former	Alliance Air

Accidents and
incidents

Air India	Korangi Creek (1947) Flight 245 (1950) Flight 300 (1955) Flight 101 (1966) Flight 855 (1978) Flight 232 (1981) Flight 403 (1982) Flight 182 (1985) Flight 301 (1985) Flight 112 (1986)
Air India Express	Flight 812 (2010) Flight 611 (2018) Flight 1344 (2020)
Alliance Air	Flight 7412 (2000)
Indian Airlines	Hijacking (1971) Flight 440 (1973) Flight 171 (1976) Flight 410 (1978) Flight 423 (1981) Flight 405 (1984) Flight 421 (1984) Flight 113 (1988) Flight 605 (1990) Flight 257 (1991) Flight 427 (1993) Flight 491 (1993) Flight 814 (1999)