Worst mid-air collision

The worst mid-air plane collision occurred on 12 November 1996 when 349 passengers and crew were killed over Charki Dadri, Haryana, India, when Saudi Flight 763 operating a Boeing 747 and Air Kazakhstan Flight 1907 using a Ilyushin 76 freighter struck each other. The Air Kazakhstan Ilyushin 76 freighter was descending to Flight Level 150 (15,000 ft) on approach to New Delhi while the Saudia Boeing 747 had taken off from New Delhi and was climbing to Flight Level 140 (14,000 ft). The Kazakh aircraft descended below its assigned level, and the disastrous accident ensued. Some early media reports cited 351 fatalities, but this was later corrected to 349 by the Indian Directorate General of Aviation Aircraft in its Aircraft Accident Summary for 1996.