Bombay - New Delhi - Beirut - Geneva - Paris - London - New York

On January 24, 1966 at 08:02 AM, Bombay - New Delhi - Beirut - Geneva - Paris - London - New York experienced a crash involving Boeing 707, operated by Air India, with the event recorded near Mont-Blanc Haute-Savoie.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

117 people were known to be on board, 117 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 11, crew fatalities: 11, passengers on board: 106, passenger fatalities: 106, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The aircraft christened 'Kanchenjunga' was on a flight from Bombay to New York with intermediate stops in New Delhi, Beirut, Geneva, Paris and London, carrying 106 passengers and 11 crew members. The airplane departed Beirut with one VOR inoperative and while approaching Geneva at an altitude of 15,000 feet, the crew contacted ATC and requested the permission to perform a 'VMC on top' descent, about 1,000 feet above the cloud layer. Twenty minutes before its ETA at Geneva-Cointrin Airport, the four engine aircraft struck the Mont Blanc at an altitude of 4,677 meters. The airplane disintegrated on impact and debris scattered in deep snow near the 'Rocher de la Tournette'. Among the victims were Giani Bertoli, Director of Air India for Europe and the Indian Atomist Homi Bhabba who was travelling to Geneva for a conference, accompanied with 20 monkeys. At the time of the accident, the airplane should be at an altitude of 17,500 feet but the crew failed to follow this procedure, probably following misunderstanding with ATC.

Aircraft reference details include registration VT-DMN, MSN 18055, year of manufacture 1961.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 45.7962°, 5.9703°.