Charkhi Dadri Air Collision: A Unique Tale
- Dipesh Sharma
- Dec 25, 2019
- 2 min read
Disclaimer: All the Information Given Below has been collected from Different websites and Documentaries. Its not the Full Report, just a Brief outline on what happened on that fateful day.
Have you Ever thought? How Vital Language Plays a Role in your Life? It helps you understand world in your way, It helps you communicate with others, and it also helps you take various decisions. But what if your language isn't good? The reason for discussing this matter is that today's report is based on how the language can turn as a Bane for Lives on Board the Aircraft.
Date was 12th November ,1996( Delhi), In the windy and Chilling evening of Delhi's IGI's airport the Air Traffic Controllers were doing their Routine Jobs, Dutta( First name Unknown) had just arrived for his shift, he usually works in the Evening Slot. Traffic was above Normal that day as it was after the Festive Season and everyone were returning for their Jobs, among them were some Blue Collared Workers who were returning to Saudi Arabia.
The Flight was Saudi Airlines, it was traveling to Dhahran, and had 312 passengers, the plane departed at around 6 pm, the weather was cloudy that day. So after a few Minutes of Taking Off the Captain requested the ATC to clear it to Climb to 14000 feet. After Some Moments the Controller agreed and gave the permission to climb to 14000 Feet, Everything was going on Normally.
About 25 Kms away(approx.) another aircraft bound for New Delhi contacted the ATC tower in Delhi, this aircraft was no other than the Kazakhstan Airlines flight carrying 37 Passengers on Board, as it was bound for Delhi the Pilot asked the permission to descend to 15000 feet, the ATC gave the permission and assigned 15000 feet as its altitude, after about 8 minutes later the Flight was reported to have reached its assigned altitude. The Controller then gave an instruction to Identify a possible traffic at 19 kms on Opposite direction, BUT there was NO Response, The Controller gave another try to contact but it didn't work. After few Minutes the controller received a call from yet another Pilot, that there was a Collision between two aircraft's.
So, how did this happen? How come that the two aircraft's that were assigned different altitudes Collided with each other? Well, here's the answer that the Investigators got after a Brief Investigation:
1. Kazakhstan Airlines that was assigned 15000 feet, was actually at an Altitude of 14000 feet when the last contact was made between ATC and the Aircraft.
2. As the Delhi Airport didn't had any second Ground Radar, the ATC couldn't know the exact aircraft positions.
3. The fault in the Altitudes mismatch was to be Blamed on the Pilots of Kazakhstan Airlines who didn't had any strict Procedure on the Language that was used, the pilots weren't fluent in English that's the reason they couldn't understand the Altitudes assigned to them.
So, you see how a Small Chain of Events can lead to such an Disaster.
Its an Original Documentary, watch this Video to get more Insights of that Day.
(Video Credits- Air Crash Investigation)
(Khalilah Killen- YouTube Channel)
Comments