From Homi Bhabha to Vijay Rupani: Notable Indian Leaders and Public Figures Lost in Air Disasters

New Delhi: The plane crash in Ahmedabad that claimed the life of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has brought back memories of several other tragedies in India involving well-known leaders and public figures who died in air accidents.
Rupani was on board the Air India London-bound flight AI171, which crashed shortly after takeoff on Thursday. Of the 242 people on board, only one survived. Over the years, India has lost many respected personalities — from scientists to chief ministers — in similar incidents. Here’s a look at other major figures who died in air crashes in India’s recent history:
Homi J. Bhabha (1966)

India’s foremost nuclear physicist and the founding director of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Jehangir Bhabha died on January 24, 1966. He was aboard Air India Flight 101, which crashed into Mont Blanc in the Swiss Alps. The Boeing 707 was en route from Mumbai to New York via Geneva and London. The crash was attributed to a navigational error caused by a miscommunication with Swiss air traffic control. Bhabha's death was a major loss to India’s atomic energy programme.
Sanjay Gandhi (1980)
Congress leader and younger son of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi died in a self-piloted crash on June 23, 1980. He was flying a Pitts S-2A aircraft belonging to the Delhi Flying Club when it stalled during an attempted aerobatic manoeuvre over Safdarjung Airport. A close aide, Captain Subhash Saxena, was also on board and died in the crash.
Madhavrao Scindia (2001)

A senior Congress leader, former civil aviation minister Madhavrao Scindia died when his private aircraft crashed in Uttar Pradesh on September 30, 2001. He was flying from Delhi to Kanpur for a rally when the 10-seater Cessna C-90 aircraft went down near Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh due to bad weather. All eight on board, including journalists and his personal staff, were killed.
G.M.C. Balayogi (2002)

Speaker of the Lok Sabha and a senior leader of the Telugu Desam Party, Ganti Mohana Chandra Balayogi died in a helicopter crash on March 3, 2002. The Bell 206 helicopter he was flying in crashed into a water body near Kaikalur in Krishna district while returning from a political programme. Three others also died in the crash.
Cyprian Sangma (2004)

Rural Development Minister in Meghalaya, Sangma was among ten people killed when a Pawan Hans Dauphin helicopter crashed near Barapani Lake on September 22, 2004. The group was travelling from Guwahati to Shillong. Poor weather and technical issues were suspected causes. The incident triggered calls for improved helicopter services in the Northeast.
Soundarya (2004)

Popular South Indian actress Soundarya died in a plane crash on April 17, 2004, while travelling from Bengaluru to Karimnagar for an election campaign. The four-seater aircraft crashed minutes after takeoff from Jakkur Aerodrome in Bengaluru due to engine failure. Her brother and two others were also killed.
O.P. Jindal and Surender Singh (2005)

Industrialist and Haryana Power Minister Om Prakash Jindal, and state Agriculture Minister Surender Singh were killed in a helicopter crash on March 31, 2005. The Bell helicopter went down in foggy conditions near Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, while travelling from Delhi to Chandigarh.
Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (2009)

Then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, popularly known as YSR, died on September 2, 2009, when his Bell 430 helicopter crashed in the Nallamala forest en route from Hyderabad to Chittoor. He was accompanied by his principal secretary P. Subramanyam, Chief Security Officer A.S.C. Wesley, pilot Group Captain S.K. Bhatia, and co-pilot M.S. Reddy. All five died. The crash was due to loss of control during bad weather.
Dorjee Khandu (2011)

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu was killed on April 30, 2011. He and four others were travelling in a Pawan Hans helicopter from Tawang to Itanagar. The wreckage was found five days later in the Sela Pass region of West Kameng district. The crash was blamed on bad weather and technical failure.
General Bipin Rawat (2021)

India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, died in a military helicopter crash on December 8, 2021. He was travelling in an Indian Air Force Mi-17V5 chopper from Sulur to Wellington in Tamil Nadu. Alongside him were his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 others, including senior defence officials and crew. The aircraft crashed near Coonoor due to sudden weather changes, according to the investigation report. All 13 onboard were killed.