Date:	Saturday 23 September 1989
Time:	19:53
Type:	Dornier 228-201
Owner/operator:	Vayudoot
Registration:	VT-EJF
MSN:	8052
Year of manufacture:	1985
Engine model:	Garrett TPE331-5-252D
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 11
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	9,5 km SE of Indapur -   India
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Pune-Lohegaon Airport (PNQ/VAPO)
Destination airport:	Hyderabad-Begumpet Airport (HYD/VOHY)
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Dornier 228-201 VT-EJF was operating Vayudoot flight PF624 from Pune to Hyderabad in India. The aircraft took off from Pune at 19:28 hours. The flight was uneventful up to 19:43. Soon thereafter, the aircraft started loosing height rapidly with increasing speed. The pilot attempted recover the aircraft from the dive but the aircraft continued to lose height till it impacted the back waters Ujjaini Dam.
The accident happened in night time conditions with isolated thunderstorms and localised heavy rain in the area.

The cause of the accident has been attributed as:
"Entry of the aircraft into severe turbulent conditions while passing through clouds, leading to rapid loss of height of the aircraft because of inappropriate action by the pilots. As a result, the aircraft entered a spiral. This was not recognised by the pilots, resulting in initiation of incorrect recovery action by pulling back on the control column instead of first levelling the wings. The possibility of jamming of the elevator of the aircraft cannot be ruled out as one of the probable cause of the accident."
Disorientation; unpreparedness of the pilots and their failure to recognise in time, a serious situation and take appropriate corrective action; long breaks in night flying in the case of the captain and temporary malfunction or sluggishness of ADI are the contributory causes.

Civil aviation aircraft accident summary for the year 1989 (DGAC India)

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