World · South & Central Asia · 2 hrs ago
AAIB blames unstable approach for 2023 Mumbai Learjet crash
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has published its final findings on a Learjet crash at Mumbai airport in September 2023.
The aircraft was operated by VSR Ventures, and all eight people on board were seriously injured.
Investigators said the crew continued an unstable approach in poor weather, leading the aircraft to stall at low altitude during landing.
Rain, a strong tailwind and delayed calls to go around also contributed, while both engines were working normally.
The bureau found gaps in pilot training, records and internal audits at VSR, and said regulator audit reports had not recorded issues uncovered in the investigation.
It recommended checks of pilot training records and stronger training and oversight, including requiring pilots to go around when an approach is unstable.
The AAIB blamed the September 2023 Learjet crash at Mumbai airport on the crew continuing an unstable approach in poor weather.
All eight people on board were seriously injured when the aircraft crashed while landing on runway 27.
The report also found lapses in pilot training, record-keeping and internal audits at operator VSR Ventures.
The AAIB recommended stronger checks of pilot training records and changes to recurrent training and go-around procedures.
The report was made public on Friday, more than three years after the crash.
- Who
- The flight crew of VSR Ventures’ Learjet 45XR. All eight people on board were seriously injured.
- What
- The Learjet crashed while landing at Mumbai airport; the AAIB blamed the crew’s decision to continue an unstable approach.
- When
- September 14, 2023.
- Where
- Runway 27 at Mumbai airport.
- Why
- The crew continued an unstable approach in marginal weather and handled the aircraft in a way that led to a low-altitude aerodynamic stall, the report said.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The Learjet 45XR crashed while landing on runway 27 at Mumbai airport.
The AAIB made its final report public.
- Aircraft
- Learjet 45XR, registration VT-DBL
- Accident date
- September 14, 2023
- Flight
- Non-scheduled flight from Visakhapatnam
- People on board
- Eight; all were seriously injured
- Operator
- VSR Ventures
- Runway
- 27, Mumbai airport
What people are saying
The probable cause of the accident was the flight crew’s decision to continue the un-stabilized approach under marginal weather conditions and inappropriate handling of aircraft which led to an aerodynamic stall at low altitude from which the aircraft did not recover