Top 10 Deadliest Civil Aircraft Crashes in India
From mid-air collisions to runway overshoots, a look back at the worst aviation disasters in Indian skies.
New Delhi | June 12, 2025
The Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday has once again turned the spotlight on civil aviation safety in India. While the official investigation into the latest incident is ongoing, the tragedy echoes previous fatal air disasters, the most recent being the 2020 Calicut crash that killed 21 passengers.
India’s worst-ever air disaster remains the 1996 mid-air collision over Charkhi Dadri, which claimed 349 lives. Below is a list of the ten major civil aircraft crashes in India over the past decades:
- August 7, 2020 – Calicut (Kozhikode) Air Crash
Air India Express Flight 1344 from Dubai skidded off a wet runway while landing at Calicut International Airport and broke into two. The crash killed 21 people. - May 22, 2010 – Mangalore Air Crash
Air India Express Flight 812 overshot the runway at Mangalore and plunged into a gorge. A total of 158 people lost their lives. - July 17, 2000 – Patna Air Crash
Alliance Air Flight 7412, a Boeing 737, crashed while landing at Patna Airport due to pilot error, killing over 60 passengers. - November 12, 1996 – Charkhi Dadri Mid-Air Collision
A Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747 and a Kazakhstan Airlines Ilyushin Il-76 collided near Delhi due to pilot miscommunication with air traffic control. All 349 people on board both aircraft died. - April 26, 1993 – Aurangabad Air Crash
Indian Airlines Flight 491 struck a truck and power lines shortly after takeoff, leading to the deaths of 55 passengers. - August 16, 1991 – Imphal Air Crash
Indian Airlines Flight 257 crashed into the hills near Imphal, killing all 69 people on board. - February 14, 1990 – Bangalore Air Crash
Indian Airlines Flight 605, an Airbus A320, crashed during its final approach to Bangalore, resulting in 92 fatalities. - October 19, 1988 – Ahmedabad Air Crash
Indian Airlines Flight 113 crashed on approach in Ahmedabad, killing 133 people. - June 21, 1982 – Bombay Air Crash
Air India Flight 403 crashed while landing at Bombay airport, resulting in 17 fatalities. - January 1, 1978 – Bombay Air Crash
Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747, crashed into the Arabian Sea shortly after takeoff from Mumbai, killing all 213 people on board.
