VT-EEL

On April 5, 1977 at 07:20 AM, VT-EEL experienced a crash involving Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3), operated by National Remote Sensing Agency, with the event recorded near Edavlli Andhra Pradesh.

The flight was categorized as survey / patrol / reconnaissance and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

10 people were known to be on board, 10 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 5, crew fatalities: 5, passengers on board: 5, passenger fatalities: 5, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. 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.

Aircraft reference details include registration VT-EEL, MSN 13290, year of manufacture 1944.