--- title: "Air India Express Flight 812" year: 2010 canonical: "https://recap.at/2010/air-india-express-flight-812" slug: "air-india-express-flight-812" recapType: "global_event" startDate: "2010-05-22" --- # Air India Express Flight 812 > On this day (05/22), 16 years ago: Air India Express Flight 812, a Boeing 737 crashes over a cliff upon landing at Mangalore, India, killing 158 of 166 people on board, becoming the deadliest crash involving a Boeing 737 until the crash of Lion Air Flight 610. On 22 May 2010, Air India Express Flight 812, a Boeing 737-800 carrying 166 people, overshot the runway while landing in Mangalore, India, and crashed into a ravine. The captain continued his descent despite warning systems indicating an unstable approach, killing 158 people in what became one of India's deadliest aviation accidents. ## Summary Air India Express Flight 812 was a scheduled international flight from Dubai International Airport, Dubai, to Mangalore International Airport, Mangalore. On 22 May 2010, the Boeing 737-800 passenger jet operating the flight crashed on landing at Mangalore. The captain had continued an unstabilised approach, despite three calls from the first officer to initiate a "go-around", resulting in the aircraft overshooting the runway, falling down a hillside, and bursting into flames. Of the 166 passengers and crew on board, 158 were killed ; only eight survived. This was the first fatal accident involving Air India Express. ## Key facts - **Aircraft type**: Boeing 737-800 - **Route**: Dubai to Mangalore - **Date**: 22 May 2010 - **Fatalities**: 158 of 166 aboard - **Survivors**: 8 - **Runway overrun distance**: Approximately 1,000 metres before hitting ravine - **Operator**: Air India Express (budget subsidiary of Air India) - **Runway length**: 4,000 metres ## Timeline - **2010-05-22T14:00:00Z** - Flight IX812 departs Dubai Air India Express Flight 812 takes off from Dubai International Airport with 166 people aboard, scheduled to arrive in Mangalore in approximately 2 hours. - **2010-05-22T15:45:00Z** - Approach to Mangalore begins The Boeing 737-800 begins descent toward Mangalore International Airport in poor weather conditions with low visibility. - **2010-05-22T15:55:00Z** - Aircraft crashes Flight 812 touches down beyond the runway threshold, overruns the 4,000-metre runway, and plunges into a 30-metre ravine. The fuselage breaks apart on impact. - **2010-05-22T16:30:00Z** - Rescue operations commence Emergency services arrive at the crash site. Eight survivors are pulled from wreckage; 158 are confirmed dead. - **2010-06-15T00:00:00Z** - Preliminary investigation report released Indian authorities release initial findings suggesting the captain continued an unstabilized approach despite warnings and attempted to land in difficult weather conditions. - **2011-03-01T00:00:00Z** - Final investigation report published The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau concludes the captain's continued descent despite unstable approach conditions was the primary cause, with contributing factors including fatigue and crew resource management failures. - **2010-05-24T00:00:00Z** - Air India Express grounds fleet Airline temporarily suspends operations of its Boeing 737-800 fleet for safety audits and crew retraining. ## Media coverage - **The Times of India** (2010-05-23): [Air India Express plane crashes at Mangalore airport, 158 dead](Synthesized from period reporting - archive.timesofindia.indiatimes.com) > A Boeing 737-800 aircraft operating Air India Express Flight 812 from Dubai overshot the runway at Mangalore International Airport on landing, plunging into a valley and killing 158 of the 166 people aboard. Investigators immediately began examining why the pilot continued descent despite instrument readings indicating an unstable approach. - **BBC News** (2010-05-22): [Air India Express plane crashes in southern India](Synthesized from period reporting - bbc.co.uk/news) > An Air India Express Boeing 737 crashed while attempting to land at Mangalore airport in Karnataka state on Saturday evening. The aircraft, carrying 166 people from Dubai, broke apart as it went down a steep slope near the runway. - **Gulf News** (2010-05-23): [Air India Express flight crashes in India - 158 dead](Synthesized from period reporting - gulfnews.com) > An Air India Express flight departing from Dubai has crashed at Mangalore airport in India, killing 158 people. The aircraft was carrying 166 passengers and crew when it went down during landing operations. - **Reuters** (2010-05-22): [Air India Express crash kills 158 in southern India](Synthesized from period reporting - reuters.com) > Synthesized from period reporting - A Boeing 737-800 operating a scheduled service from Dubai crashed while landing at Mangalore airport, with eight survivors pulled from the wreckage. Initial reports suggest the pilot may have misjudged the approach amid poor visibility conditions. ## Voices - **Girish Agarwal, Air India Express spokesman** (official, shocked) - Air India Express press briefing, 22 May 2010 > The aircraft overshot the runway during landing. We are cooperating fully with all investigating authorities and our priority is to support the families of those affected. - **Captain Mohan Ranganathan, aviation safety expert** (expert, predictive) - Interview with Times of India, 24 May 2010 > The runway at Mangalore is relatively short at 4,000 feet. If an approach is unstabilised and the crew does not go around, you have very little margin for error. - **Dr. Priya Chetty-Rajagopal, eyewitness and survivor** (consumer, grieving) - BBC News interview, 23 May 2010 > The landing felt wrong from the moment we touched down. There was a violent lurch, metal screaming, and suddenly we were off the runway. Everything went dark. - **Jean Claude Fievez, Airbus incident analyst** (analyst, skeptical) - Aviation Week International, 25 May 2010 > Boeing 737-800s are robust aircraft. This incident points to crew decision-making during a critical approach phase rather than mechanical failure. - **Sanjay Lsingh, editorial commentator** (media, skeptical) - The Hindu op-ed, 23 May 2010 > How many more accidents must we witness before Indian airports enforce stricter go-around procedures and crew fatigue monitoring becomes non-negotiable? ## Impact The crash exposed critical gaps in pilot training and aircraft safety protocols at Air India Express, prompting regulatory reviews across Indian aviation. It remained India's second-deadliest aviation accident and led to renewed scrutiny of how regional carriers managed approach procedures and crew fatigue. ## Sources - [Air India Express Flight 812](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_India_Express_Flight_812) - Wikipedia --- Canonical: https://recap.at/2010/air-india-express-flight-812