2023 Mumbai jet crash: Probe flags pilot error, unstabilised approach, training gaps

An unstabilised approach and inappropriate handling of the aircraft by the flight crew led to the crash landing of a VSR Ventures Learjet 45XR at Mumbai airport in September 2023, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has concluded in its final report.The report identified non-adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs), marginal weather conditions and the crew’s decision to continue the approach as key factors behind the accident.The accident took place on September 14, 2023, when the aircraft, registered as VT-DBL, was operating a non-scheduled passenger flight from Visakhapatnam to Mumbai.Eight people, including two crew members and six passengers, were on board. All occupants sustained injuries. UNSTABILISED APPROACH LED TO CRASH LANDINGAccording to the AAIB report, the aircraft was cleared to land on Runway 27 at Mumbai airport at 11:31 UTC amid heavy rainfall and reduced visibility.During the approach, the aircraft was not stabilised. It initially deviated to the left of the runway before drifting continuously to the right. Around 40 seconds after the autopilot was disconnected, the stick shaker activated, followed by a stall warning. Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) alerts were subsequently generated before the aircraft crash-landed near the intersection of Taxiway W and Taxiway N.The aircraft skidded across an unpaved area and stopped near the intersection of Taxiway U and Taxiway N, close to stand C80. A fire broke out after the crash, prompting fire tenders to rush to the site and extinguish it.The aircraft’s wings detached from the fuselage, and its nose section was damaged. All eight occupants were evacuated and taken to a nearby hospital with injuries.CREW’S DECISION TO CONTINUE APPROACH CITED AS PROBABLE CAUSEThe AAIB identified the flight crew’s decision to continue an unstabilised approach in marginal weather conditions, along with inappropriate handling of the aircraft, as the probable cause of the accident. These factors led to an aerodynamic stall at low altitude from which the aircraft did not recover.The report identified several contributing factors, including the crew’s failure to monitor airspeed against a rising low-speed cue and the pilot monitoring’s delay in calling for a go-around.Marginal weather conditions impaired the crew’s visual cues, while a high tailwind component further contributed to the accident.The AAIB also cited the crew’s apparent commitment to landing before a restricted time at Mumbai airport as a contributing factor.AAIB FLAGS SOP LAPSES, RECOMMENDS TRAINING REVIEWThe AAIB has made 10 recommendations following the investigation, including measures aimed at improving flight crew procedures, aircraft maintenance documentation, air traffic control practices and pilot training.VSR Ventures has been advised to sensitise its pilots to proper challenge-and-response checklists and ensure that aircraft systems are configured in accordance with SOPs. The operator has also been asked to ensure that maintenance and engineering personnel maintain technical logbooks and airframe records as prescribed.The report recommends that the Airports Authority of India sensitise air traffic controllers to maintain the required separation between aircraft to mitigate wake turbulence.The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been asked to verify operators’ manuals against existing regulations and review recurrent pilot-training requirements.The AAIB has specifically recommended that simulator training include recovery from a full stall or activation of the stall warning system in climb, cruise, approach and landing configurations.The regulator has also been advised to conduct a one-time review of training records for fixed-wing pilots, particularly those employed by non-scheduled and general aviation operators, to verify that all mandatory simulator exercises have been completed.VSR VENTURES’ PREVIOUS ACCIDENT IN FOCUSThe findings come months after another Learjet 45 operated by VSR Ventures, registered as VT-SSK, crashed at Baramati airport in Maharashtra on January 28, 2026, while operating a flight from Mumbai to Baramati. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others were killed in that accident.According to a Press Information Bureau statement issued on January 28, the aircraft had five people on board, including two crew members. The AAIB took over the investigation into that accident.The PIB statement said VSR Ventures operated as a non-scheduled operator with a fleet of 17 aircraft, including seven Learjet 45 aircraft. It also stated that the DGCA had conducted its last regulatory audit of the operator in February 2025, with no Level-I findings issued.The AAIB’s final report on the 2023 Mumbai crash focuses on flight crew decisions, operational procedures, training and regulatory oversight, and recommends measures to strengthen aviation safety.- Ends