10 killed as BSF plane crashes in Delhi

Two pilots and eight technicians of the Border Security Force (BSF) were killed when a Ranchi-bound Super King Air B-200 aircraft crashed a few minutes after it took off near the Delhi airport on Tuesday morning.

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Inspector General of BSF Dilbagh Singh will be conducting separate probes into the crash. Preliminary information suggests a technical snag might have led to the crash and the digital flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder findings will help determine the cause.

The aircraft was manufactured in 1994 and inducted by the BSF in 1995. It was ferrying the BSF’s technical personnel to Ranchi.

According to aviation sources, the aircraft took off and was climbing to 1,000 feet when it vanished from the air traffic control radar screen. There was no contact with the aircraft after it had taken off and the pilot was unable to relay any distress message. DGCA sources told PTI that the aircraft flown by Bhagwati Prasad took a U-turn towards the airport after taking off at 9.37 am and hit a tree while apparently approaching to land following a possible technical problem. It crashed into a sewage treatment plant outside the airport in Dwarka .

The victims were identified as co-pilot deputy commandant Rajdesh Shibrain, deputy commandant D Kumar and technicians Raghvendra Kumar, C L Sharma, S N Sharma, Ravinder Kumar, Surrender Singh, D P Chauhan and K R Rawat.

Delhi Police has registered a first information report under Section 304 A (death due to negligence), 336 and 337 of Indian Penal Code against unknown people. Sources said Delhi Police will await for the details of the probe by DGCA before taking any further action.

The Super King Air B-200 is popular amongst state governments, corporate houses and charter companies. According to DGCA records, there are 31 planes of the type flying in India at present. BSF had two planes of type including the one, which crashed on Tuesday. Its other Super King Air B-200, which is in service, was manufactured in 1981.

“It is unfortunate that all 10 people including the pilots have died in the crash,” said Union minister of state for civil aviation Mahesh Sharma.

According to BSF sources, the technicians were on their way to Ranchi to repair a helicopter. The Director-Genera level talks between India and Bangladesh scheduled for Tuesday in Dhaka were cancelled in the wake of the crash, they said.

The bodies of all the 10 paramilitary personnel have been recovered and sent for post-mortem to Safdarjung Hospital. A BSF statement said the aircraft was “totally burnt” and the bodies of the pilots and crew were “charred” to death.

Several leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives in the crash. “Pained by the loss of lives in the BSF plane crash in Delhi. My thoughts are with the families of the deceased,” Modi said.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh briefed the PM about the mishap and rushed to the crash site.

According to DGCA records, BSF’s air wing has a fleet of 18 planes and helicopters including Embraer jets, Avros and Dakotas (registered in 1972). The fleet includes four fixed-wing aircraft - one Embraer, two Avros and a Super King (SKA B-200). Besides 15 helicopters consisting of six MI-17 1V, two advanced Mi-17 V5 choppers, six Advance Light Helicopters (Dhruv) and one Cheetah helicopter operate under the command of the Union home ministry.