HT This Day: July 18, 1950 -- 22 die in air crash near Pathankot

All the 18 passengers and four members of the crew of a passenger plane died when it crashed into the bed of the Chaki river, 12 miles south of Pathankot, shortly after 11 a.m. today.

All the 18 passengers and four members of the crew of a passenger plane died when it crashed into the bed of the Chaki river, 12 miles south of Pathankot, shortly after 11 a.m. today.

HT This Day: July 18, 1950 -- 22 die in air crash near Pathankot

The dead include the Austrian ‘Charge d’Affaires’ in New Delhi, Dr Carl Pareira, three U.N. Observers in Kashmir and Mr Dwarkanath Kachru, Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of India.

The plane, an I.N.A. Dakota, left Delhi at 9-30 a.m. and was due to reach Srinagar at 12-30 p.m. on a non-stop flight.

The last signal “ passing over Pathankot “ was received at 11-05 a.m. and the pilot, Capt. S. K. Mehra, informed the Srinagar flying control that the expected time of the arrival of the plane at the Srinagar airstrip would be 12 noon.

The flying control officials had located the position of the plane at the time of the message between 75.25 degrees east longitude and 32.15 degrees north latitude. No distress signal was received by them.

While precise information about the cause of the crash is not known it is believed that owing to a heavy downpour visibility was very poor.

This is the third serious air disaster since the air service between Delhi and Srinagar was introduced. The first crash - involving a Dalmia Jain aircraft -- occurred nearly two years ago. It was followed by an Air Force Dakota in which 22 military officers were travelling.

P.T.I adds: The wreckage of the plane was spotted by a search party sent by Indian Army authorities in Pathankot on learning of the non-arrival of the plane at Srinagar at the scheduled time.

A message from Srinagar said that the first information about the disaster was given by a villager who happened to pass by the wreckage of the plane.