National Remote Sensing Agency

Beechcraft 300 Super King Air

The aircraft, belonging to National Remote Sensing Agency, Hyderabad, was operating a ferry flight from Ahmedabad to Bombay. There were four persons on board the aircraft including pilot-in-command. During approach to land at Bombay, contact with ATC was lost after the aircraft had reported its flight level 4,000 feet. The aircraft was found crashed on top of the hills at Taloja village located about 11 NM East of Bombay airports. All the four persons on board received fatal injuries. The aircraft was completely destroyed.

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

The aircraft was engaged on an aerial survey sortie in the foothills East of Velikonda range in Andhra Pradesh, India. According to the eye-witnesses and the weather information, the prevailing weather conditions over the survey region during the period were 'Cloudy weather with cloud base varying from 600 m to 750 m'. It was quite probable that the cloud base was still lower over the particular area, covering the hill tops. The pilot who was flying at an altitude of 2,000 feet when he arrived at the survey area, most probably took a left-hand turn circumventing the highest peak in the area (Nisam Konda 2,181 feet high) and then started to descend with the aim to get below the cloud base for visual flight. During the process, the pilot did not see a jutting out rock face on the adjacent hill, Podille Konda, which probably was obscured by a patch of low cloud. The aircraft collided with the rock face and caught fire.