Charkhi Dadri Mid-air Collision - History and Cause

History and Cause

Flight SVA 763 departed Delhi at 6:32 PM local time. Flight KZA 1907 was, at the same time, descending to land at Delhi. Both flights were controlled by approach controller VK Dutta. The crew of flight 763 consisted of Captain Khalid Al Shubaily, First Officer Nazir Khan, and Flight Engineer Edris Arabia. On Flight KZA 1907, Gennadi Cherepanov served as the pilot and Igor Repp served as the radio operator.

Flight KZA 1907 was cleared to descend to 15,000 feet (4,600 m) when 74 miles (119 km) from the airport while Flight SVA 763, travelling on the same airway as Flight KZA 1907 but in the opposite direction, was cleared to climb to 14,000 feet (4,300 m). About eight minutes later, around 6:40 PM, Flight KZA 1907 reported having reached its assigned altitude of 15,000 feet (4,600 m) but it was actually lower, at 14,500 feet (4,400 m), and still descending. At this time, Dutta advised the flight, "Identified traffic 12 o'clock, reciprocal Saudia Boeing 747, 10 miles (16 km). Report in sight."

When the controller called Flight KZA 1907 again, he received no reply. He warned of the other flight's distance, but it was too late—the two aircraft had collided. The tail of KZA 1907 sliced through the left wing of SVA 763. Flight SVA 763 had lost its horizontal stabilizer and its left wing and as a result, went into spiral motion towards the ground with fire trailing from the wing. The aircraft disintegrated under the stress before the wreckage hit the ground at almost 1135 kilometres per hour. The fuselage of Flight KZA 1907 remained structurally intact as it went in a steady but rapid and uncontrolled descent until it crashed in a field. Rescuers discovered four critically injured passengers from the IL-76 but all died soon afterward. In the end, all 312 people on board Flight SVA 763 and all 37 people on Flight KZA 1907 perished.

Capt. Timothy J. Place, a pilot for the United States Air Force, was the sole eyewitness to the event. He was making an initial approach in a Lockheed C-141B Starlifter when he saw "the cloud suddenly flash into bright red".

The wreckage of the Saudia aircraft crashed in Bhiwani District, Haryana, near Dhani. The Kazakhstani aircraft wreckage hit Rohtak District, Haryana, near Birohar.