91 Killed as Jet Crashes Short of Runway : India: The new Airbus 320 hits trees on its approach to Bangalore on a flight from Bombay. Two Americans are among the 55 survivors.

An Indian Airlines jetliner that had been in use for only three months crashed Wednesday just short of an airport runway in southern India, killing 91 of the 146 people on board.

The Airbus 320 grazed a clump of trees on its final approach to Bangalore airport and caught fire when it hit the ground 50 yards from the runway, officials said.

The flight originated in Bombay, 530 miles northwest of Bangalore. Officials said 139 passengers and a crew of seven were on the hour-long flight and at least 55 people survived the crash, including two Americans, not identified.

The plane’s tail was intact but its fuselage was shattered and the nose was smashed across the grassy plain adjacent to the airport.

There was no immediate reason given for the cause of the accident, which occurred about 1 p.m. Airport officials in Bangalore said the weather was clear and there were no signs of an emergency on board.

The aircraft was among a fleet of 14 Airbus 320s purchased by Indian Airlines last year at a cost of $38 million per plane from Airbus Industrie, the European consortium that manufactures the plane.

The jet that crashed entered the fleet in December and had flown from Bombay to the nearby city of Goa and back earlier Wednesday, the airline said.

It was the first crash of an Airbus 320 in regular commercial service. An Airbus 320 carrying passengers crashed June 26, 1988, at an air show in eastern France, killing three people and injuring 50. The plane was on a demonstration flight and flew too low and slowly over an airfield, hitting some trees.

The Airbus 320 is the first civilian airliner with a fully computerized flight system, which manufacturers say allows for safer operation.

Instead of the old control column in front of the pilot, there is a “pistol-grip” side stick linked to five computers that modify and relay the pilot’s directions to wing and tail control surfaces. A mechanical cable link to the tail allows the pilot to fly manually in emergencies.

An airline spokesman in New Delhi said there were at least 17 foreigners on the flight, including two Americans, a Frenchman, two Canadians, three Japanese and a Hong Kong man, all of whom survived.

The crash is the latest in a series of mishaps that have earned Indian Airlines the reputation of being one of the worst-managed air carriers in the world.

Poor morale among the staff has led to frequent strikes, and delays are also frequent. Employees allege that preflight safety precautions are often ignored and planes are allowed to fly even if major problems are detected.