Date:	Friday 5 March 1999
Time:	23:29
Type:	Boeing 747-2B3F (SCD)
Owner/operator:	Air France
Registration:	F-GPAN
MSN:	21515/337
Year of manufacture:	1978
Total airframe hrs:	72968 hours
Cycles:	17608 flights
Engine model:	General Electric CF6-50E2
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	Chennai Airport (MAA) -   India
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Cargo
Departure airport:	Bangalore-Hindustan Airport (BLR/VOBG)
Destination airport:	Chennai Airport (MAA/VOMM)

Narrative:
Air France flight 6745 had taken off from Paris and was on its way to Chennai (MAA) after some enroute stops at Karachi (KHI) and Bangalore (BLR). The cargo plane carried 66 tonnes of cargo, that included three foreign cars, 20 tonnes of ITC cigarettes, chemicals and garments.
The aircraft was cleared for a runway 07 ILS approach, but the approach was abandoned due to indications that the undercarriage was not down and locked. The flight crew concluded that all gear were down and locked despite a red GEAR light on the forward instrument panel. The crew had failed to recognize that the green GEAR DOWN light for the nose gear was not illuminated and assumed that the red GEAR light on the forward instrument panel was a false indication. The gear was recycled, but an alternate extension was not attempted.
The pilot positioned the airplane for another approach. The aircraft touched down with the nose gear retracted. The nose struck the runway. The plane skidded and came to rest at 7000 feet down the runway (which is 13050 feet long). As the pilot informed the ATC of the mishap, he noticed smoke in the cockpit. Even as the smoke was being extinguished, flames erupted in the front portion of the aircraft. One of the crewmembers came down through a rope ladder from the cockpit, the other four were brought down through the rear of the aircraft using the fire engine step ladders. The fire services were not able to extinguish the fire and the plane burned out completely.

Aviation Week & Space Technology 15.03.1999 (p.42)
The Hindu
The Hindustan Times
NTSB Identification: DCA05MA095

photo (c) Frank Schaefer; December 1989

photo (c) Werner Fischdick; Miami International Airport, FL (MIA); 05 April 1996

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