An Inauspicious New Year's Day - The Crash of Air India's Emperor Ashoka

On January 1, 1978, the Indian aviation industry witnessed one of its most horrific tragedies. Air India’s luxurious flight Emperor Ashoka Boeing 747 crashed into the Arabian Sea killing all 213 people on board.

Air India's Boeing 747 Emperor Ashoka's lavish interiors during its maiden fight, 1971. Source: Scroll.in, Debasish Chakraverty

Air India bought its first Boeing 747 in 1971. Even by modern standards, the aircraft was a luxury few could afford, a lavish ‘palace in the sky’. The interiors of the airplane were furnished with pompous carpets, sofas, couches and bars; the walls of the plane were adorned with Indian murals. The extravagant airplane was aptly named Emperor Ashoka, after the historic Mauryan ruler who had touched unseen heights of prosperity in his time as the king of the Mauryan empire.

Little did the unassuming passengers who boarded the aerial beauty on January 1, 1978, know the tragedy that fate had lined up for them. The airplane took off from the Bombay airport heading towards Dubai, captained by Madan Lal Kukar, an experienced pilot. Merely minutes after the plane took off, it crashed into the Arabian Sea, killing all 213 people on board. The crash occurred seconds after the captain wished the control tower a happy new year, before plunging into the sea to their death.

Assuming a similar, unfortunate destiny that had befallen the Titanic, the crash of Emperor Ashoka is regarded as one of the deadliest tragedies of the Indian aviation industry. Other than the fact that none of the passengers or crew survived the crash, a startling memory of the incident is recalled by residents who lived near the coast at the time of the crash – they allegedly heard an explosion and saw a ball of fire hurtling into the waters of the Arabian Sea.

Like all man-made tragedies, this air crash too witnessed its fair share of conspiracy theories, however, most experts agree that the accident occurred due to a malfunctioning piece of indicative equipment in the airplane itself. This malfunction could be attributed to nothing but luck, because the Boeing 747 was known for its well-built, reliable design. Despite being such a massive accident, the crash is hardly remembered by anyone but the immediate kin of the deceased.