Jakarta – New Delhi – Bombay – Karachi – Cairo – Athens – Rome – Amsterdam

On July 12, 1949 at 09:20 AM, Jakarta – New Delhi – Bombay – Karachi – Cairo – Athens – Rome – Amsterdam experienced a crash involving Lockheed L-749 Constellation, operated by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines - Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, with the event recorded near Mumbai Maharashtra.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

45 people were known to be on board, 45 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 10, crew fatalities: 10, passengers on board: 35, passenger fatalities: 35, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The crew encountered poor weather conditions and low visibility while on approach to Bombay-Santa Cruz Airport. On final, the four engine aircraft christened 'Franeker' was too low and hit the slope of the Ghatkopar hill (240 meters high) located about 5 km from the runway 23 threshold. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 45 occupants were killed, among them 13 American journalists. Crew: Arnoldus Marcelis (Chris) van de Vaart, captain, Cornelis L. van Kooy, pilot, Pieter Zeeman, pilot, Johannes Hoogland, radio operator, Pieter den Daas, radio operator, Heinrich Fronczek, flight engineer, Jacob Willem Dalman, flight engineer, Jacobus Verhaagen, steward, Carola Graf, stewardess, Janny Bruce, steward.

Aircraft reference details include registration PH-TDF, MSN 2558, year of manufacture 1947.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 18.9328°, 72.8371°.