| 1994 Indira Gandhi International Airport collision | |
| Occurrence Type: | Accident |
| Date: | 8 March 1994 |
| Type: | Loss of control after takeoff due to pilot error during a simulated engine failure |
| Total Fatalities: | 9 |
| Total Injuries: | 4 |
| Site: | Near Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport, India |
| Plane1 Image: | LN-NPB B737-200 BusyBee 1987 (4583553275).jpg |
| Plane1 Caption: | The 737-200 involved in 1987, while operating for Busy Bee |
| Plane1 Type: | Boeing 737-200 |
| Plane1 Operator: | Sahara India Airlines |
| Plane1 Callsign: | VICTOR INDIA ALPHA |
| Plane1 Tailnum: | VT-SIA |
| Plane1 Origin: | Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport, India |
| Plane1 Destination: | Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport, India |
| Plane1 Occupants: | 4 |
| Plane1 Passengers: | 0 |
| Plane1 Crew: | 4 |
| Plane1 Fatalities: | 4 |
| Plane1 Survivors: | 0 |
| Plane2 Image: | Ilyushin IL-86, Aeroflot JP7570222.jpg |
| Plane2 Caption: | An Aeroflot Il-86 similar to the one involved |
| Plane2 Type: | Ilyushin Il-86 |
| Plane2 Operator: | Aeroflot |
| Plane2 Iata: | SU558 |
| Plane2 Icao: | AFL558 |
| Plane2 Callsign: | AEROFLOT 558 |
| Plane2 Tailnum: | RA-86119 |
| Plane2 Origin: | Changi Airport, Singapore |
| Plane2 Stopover: | Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport, India |
| Plane2 Destination: | Sheremetyevo International Airport, Moscow |
| Plane2 Occupants: | 4 |
| Plane2 Passengers: | 0 |
| Plane2 Crew: | 4 |
| Plane2 Fatalities: | 4 |
| Plane2 Survivors: | 0 |
| Ground Fatalities: | 1 |
| Ground Injuries: | 4 |
On 8 March 1994, a Sahara India Airlines Boeing 737 crashed shortly after takeoff. The plane slammed into an Aeroflot Ilyushin Il-86, which led to both aircraft being destroyed. All 8 crew members on both planes were killed, along with one person on the ground. There were no passengers on either aircraft during the crash. The cause of the crash was determined to be pilot error.[1]
The aircraft was manufactured for Busy Bee in 1979. It had also made its first flight on April 25, 1979. The aircraft was sold to Sahara India Airlines in October 1993. The aircraft was almost 15 years old at the time of the accident. It was equipped with 2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-17 engines.
The flight crew consisted of a flight instructor and three trainee pilots.
On Tuesday, March 8, 1994, the Boeing 737-200 took off from Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport, India. At the time of the accident, the Boeing 737-200 had completed five normal training exercises and landings. However, during the sixth training exercise, the aircraft climbed to 400feet-500feetft (-ft) when it banked left and crashed at the International Terminal Apron. The wreckage of aircraft hit an Aeroflot Ilyushin Il-86 aircraft, Flight 558, parked on Bay No. 45 as a result of which it also caught fire. All 4 crew members were killed, as well as all 4 crew members inside the Aeroflot Ilyushin Il-86 aircraft. Additionally, an employee of an airport oil company was killed when the plane impacted the tarmac.
An investigation by the India Commercial Pilot Association (ICPA) revealed that the accident occurred due to application of wrong rudder by a trainee pilot during engine failure exercise. The flight instructor did not guard or block the rudder control and give clear commands during his role to avoid the application of wrong rudder control by the trainee pilot.