The plane crash in Ghatkopar, Mumbai has a curious parallel from almost exactly 69 years back. On July 12, 1949 the KLM Constellation aircraft Franeker crashed in the hills between Ghatkopar and Powai, killing the 34 passengers and 11 crew members aboard.
It was India’s worst air disaster till that date.
The plane was on its way back to Europe from Indonesia. In sympathy with the revolutionaries, newly independent India and Pakistan had initially refused permission for the colonial government’s carrier to land and refuel, as was required by the aircraft of that time. India had relented and allowed the plane to land in Delhi, but Pakistan apparently refused permission for it to land in Karachi.
According to the detailed report in the Times of India (ToI) on July 13, this was why it had to attempt the difficult monsoon landing in Bombay. The plane had made a first approach, but with runway “temporarily unserviceable”, it had taken off for another sweep. The Ghatkopar area is now a concrete jungle, but it was almost an actual jungle at that time. The ToI reported on how locals had heard “a deafening detonation” and gone to investigate through “thick undergrowth, across waterlogged fields and nullahs swollen by unceasing rain.”
ToI followed the formal inquiry.
This placed the blame on pilot error, but also urgently recommended upgradation of Santa Cruz airport, which clearly had to be ready to deal with a huge increase in air traffic, in all weathers. The measures included “development of the east-west runway at Santa Cruz airport as the main instrument runway, equipping it with high intensity lighting and approach lighting” and more equipment, all for an estimated cost of Rs 34 lakh.
The recommendations also included blowing up the tops of the hills which had caused the problems and installing permanent beacons. The latter was done, but the reduction was not felt to be feasible at that time. Yet over the decades this has effectively happened simply due to rampant development—but with the substitution of tall buildings as a new hazard. The new crash in Ghatkopar is a stark reminder of the problems that remain with such a busy airport in an intensely crowded area.
30/06/18 Vikram Doctor/Economic Times
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It was India’s worst air disaster till that date.
The plane was on its way back to Europe from Indonesia. In sympathy with the revolutionaries, newly independent India and Pakistan had initially refused permission for the colonial government’s carrier to land and refuel, as was required by the aircraft of that time. India had relented and allowed the plane to land in Delhi, but Pakistan apparently refused permission for it to land in Karachi.
According to the detailed report in the Times of India (ToI) on July 13, this was why it had to attempt the difficult monsoon landing in Bombay. The plane had made a first approach, but with runway “temporarily unserviceable”, it had taken off for another sweep. The Ghatkopar area is now a concrete jungle, but it was almost an actual jungle at that time. The ToI reported on how locals had heard “a deafening detonation” and gone to investigate through “thick undergrowth, across waterlogged fields and nullahs swollen by unceasing rain.”
ToI followed the formal inquiry.
This placed the blame on pilot error, but also urgently recommended upgradation of Santa Cruz airport, which clearly had to be ready to deal with a huge increase in air traffic, in all weathers. The measures included “development of the east-west runway at Santa Cruz airport as the main instrument runway, equipping it with high intensity lighting and approach lighting” and more equipment, all for an estimated cost of Rs 34 lakh.
The recommendations also included blowing up the tops of the hills which had caused the problems and installing permanent beacons. The latter was done, but the reduction was not felt to be feasible at that time. Yet over the decades this has effectively happened simply due to rampant development—but with the substitution of tall buildings as a new hazard. The new crash in Ghatkopar is a stark reminder of the problems that remain with such a busy airport in an intensely crowded area.
30/06/18 Vikram Doctor/Economic Times
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