Chandigarh - Leh

On February 7, 1968 at 03:00 PM, Chandigarh - Leh experienced a crash involving Antonov AN-12, operated by Indian Air Force - Bharatiya Vayu Sena, with the event recorded near Rohtang Pass Himachal Pradesh.

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

102 people were known to be on board, 102 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 4, passengers on board: 98, passenger fatalities: 98, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is weather. The four engine aircraft departed Chandigarh on a flight to Leh, carrying 98 passengers, soldiers and family members. While descending to Leh, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with snowstorm and the captain made a 180 turn to return to Chandigarh as a landing at Leh Airport was impossible. Few minutes later, while cruising in zero visibility at an altitude of 22,000 feet, the airplane struck the slope of a snow covered mountain located near the Rohtang Pass, Himachal Pradesh. As the airplane failed to return to Chandigarh, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few weeks later as no trace of the aircraft no the 102 occupants was found. Some debris were found in August 2003 at an altitude of 5,400 meters in the Dhaka Glacier and three bodies in August 2007.

Aircraft reference details include registration BL534, MSN 02 4 003, year of manufacture 1961.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 32.3710°, 77.2463°.