Boeing 737-200 accident near Patna, In, July 17, 2000
On July 17, 2000 at about 1:04 am local time, a Boeing 737-200, registered VTEGD, was destroyed in an accident near Patna (Patna India airport). It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. 55 people were killed, 5 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 2000 · about 1:04 am local time
- Place
- Patna, India · Patna India
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 55 people were killed, 5 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-200 · all 737-200s on the register
- Registration
- VTEGD · no longer on the register · serial 22280
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 44,087 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 115,250 lb
- Seats: 119
- Landing gear: retractable
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Airlines Allied Sevices Ltd
The flight
- Departed from: Calcutta at 4:20 pm
- Destination: New Delhi
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 25, 6,858 ft by 138 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 81°F (27°C)
- Altimeter: 29.44 inHg
- Observation at 1:51 am
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 6 | |||
| Passengers | 49 | 5 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.