Mohan Bhagwat Recalls World's Worst Mid-Air Collision: What Happened In 1996

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday recalled how volunteers of the organisation helped after the 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision in Haryana, one of the deadliest aviation accidents in the world.

Two passenger planes collided over Dadri on November 12, 1996, killing 349 people.

Speaking at the "One World One Humanity" event in New York, Bhagwat said most of the passengers were Muslims and recalled that RSS volunteers reached the crash site and helped with relief work.

"We never thought at that time that these were Muslims," Bhagwat added.

He said the RSS was able to help because it was not working for political gains and the organisation does not publicise such work because it does not expect anything in return.

What happened in the Charkhi Dadri crash?

The plane crash happened on November 12, 1996, over the village of Charkhi Dadri in Haryana. 

A Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747 and a Kazakhstan Airlines Ilyushin Il-76 collided in mid-air while flying near Delhi. The two aircraft were carrying a total of 349 people. There were no survivors.

Wreckage of Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 763, a Boeing 747, and Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907, an Ilyushin Il-76, which collided over the village of Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, about 100 km west of Delhi on November 12, 1996
Photo Credit: Getty

The Saudi Arabian Airlines flight was travelling from Jeddah to Delhi with 312 people on board. The Kazakhstan Airlines aircraft was leaving Delhi for Chimkent, in Kazakhstan, with 37 people on board. The two planes were flying in the same area of airspace over Charkhi Dadri, about 100 km west of Delhi.

The Kazakhstan Airlines aircraft was supposed to maintain an altitude of 15,000 feet. However, it descended below that level. At around 14,000 feet, the two aircraft came into the same path and collided head-on. Both planes were destroyed in the crash. All 349 people on board the two aircraft were killed.

Investigators reveal that one of the major problems that led to the crash was communication. The Kazakhstan Airlines crew had limited English-language skills, while a radio operator was relaying some of the communication with air traffic control.

There was confusion over the altitude instructions given by air traffic control. The Kazakh aircraft continued to descend even though it had been assigned a higher altitude. The Saudi Arabian Airlines aircraft was also descending through the same airspace.