Crash of a Dornier DO.28B-1 Agur near Suez

Date & Time: Oct 21, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
016
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
MSN:
3071
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot of an Egyptian Air Force MiG-21 shot down the Israel DO.28 with a SAM-3 air-air missile. The aircraft crash landed in a desert area located about 15 km southeast of Suez. The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants were taken PoW.
Probable cause:
Shot down by an Egyptian Air Force fighter.

Crash of a Boeing 727-224 near Ismailia: 108 killed

Date & Time: Feb 21, 1973 at 1411 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5A-DAH
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Tripoli – Benghazi – Cairo – Bahrain
MSN:
20244/650
YOM:
1968
Flight number:
LN114
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
104
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
108
Circumstances:
Flight 114 was an international scheduled service from Tripoli to Bahrain with intermediate stops in Benghazi and Cairo. On board were 104 passengers and a crew of nine, five from Air France, among them the captain, Mr. Jacques Bourgès, aged 42. Normally, the Benghazi – Cairo route was flown eastwards along the Libyan coast until reaching the city of Sidi Barrani in Egypt, where the airway turned inland to the VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) and Non-Directional Beacon (NDB) area located west of Lake Qarun. The entry to the Cairo terminal area was made on a north-easterly heading over a 71-nautical-mile (131 km) long path that separated Lake Qarun from the Cairo VOR. At 13:45 the Cairo traffic control (CTC) saw the aircraft approaching from the west. Permission was granted to land in runway 23. CTC surprisingly saw the Boeing heading eastward towards the Suez Canal at 13:50. Evidence from both the recovered Boeing 727 voice recorders and the Israeli authorities' flight data recorder later showed that the Libyan aircraft was likely to had been already off course when it reported its position over Qarun, probably due to strong westerly upper-level winds associated to a low level sandstorm. The crew was forced to rely on instrument navigation because of this sandstorm. Both instrument and navigational error caused the aircraft to go off course, entering airspace dominated by Israel when flying over the Sinai Peninsula. By this time the aircraft had been lost from the Egyptian air traffic control. The crew believed they were close to the destination airport and started the descent. At 13:55 the aircraft was detected in the radar by the Israelis as it was entering Israeli airspace; it was located south-east of Suez at an altitude of 15,000 feet (4,600 m). Two Israeli Air Force Phantoms were sent to intercept the then unidentified aircraft. Following the re-establishment of communications with CTC the pilot of the Libyan aircraft looked through the cabin's port window and saw the fighters, but he mistook them for Egyptian MiGs. The Libyan aircraft continued flying deeper into the Sinai at a speed of 325 miles per hour (523 km/h), but it suddenly veered to the west. It was at that time that the Boeing's crew realised they were having problems with their instruments. The Israeli fighter pilots attempted to make visual contact with the passenger airliner's crew, and tried to communicate to them by signaling with their hands and dipping their wings. The 727 crew's response was interpreted as a denial of that request. The 727 adopting a westward course was interpreted by the Israeli pilots as an attempt to flee. The Israeli Phantom pilots fired bursts from their 20 mm M61 cannons, severely damaging the airliner's control surfaces, hydraulic systems, and wing structure. Flight 114 attempted an emergency landing in an area covered with sand dunes, but crashed, with an explosion near the right main landing gear. Four passengers and the copilot survived while 108 other occupants were killed. The copilot later said that the flight crew knew the Israeli jets wanted them to land but relations between Israel and Libya made them decide against following instructions. In direct contradiction to the co-pilot's own account, the Libyan government stated that the attack occurred without warning. Israel's air force perceived Flight 114 as a security threat, and that among the possible tasks it could have been undertaking was an aerial spy mission over the Israeli air base at Bir Gifgafa. The Israeli government also revealed that LN114 was shot down with the personal authorization of David Elazar, the Israeli Chief of Staff. Israel's argument was that the heightened security situation and the erratic behaviour of the jet's crew made the actions taken prudent. The United Nations did not take any action against Israel. The 30 member nations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) voted to censure Israel for the attack. The United States did not accept the reasoning given by Israel, and condemned the incident. Israel's Defense Minister, Moshe Dayan, called it an "error of judgment", and Israel paid compensation to the victims' families.
Probable cause:
Shot down by two Israel Air Force fighters.

Crash of an Antonov AN-12 in Egypt: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 31, 1972
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
En route from Russia to Egypt, the four engine airplane struck the slope of a mountain somewhere in Egypt, killing all seven crew members. The accident occurred somewhere in 1972 as the exact date remains unknown.

Crash of a Boeing 707-366C near Beni Suef: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 5, 1972 at 1505 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
SU-AOW
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Cairo - Cairo
MSN:
19845/809
YOM:
1969
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew (three pilots and three technicians) departed Cairo-Intl Airport at 1434LT on a training flight. En route, the airplane went out off control and crashed along the A1C Highway located near Beni Suef, about 125 km south of Cairo. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the accident was caused by the failure of the engine n°4 pylon in flight, causing the aircraft to be uncontrollable.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-62 in Cairo

Date & Time: Jun 16, 1972 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
SU-ARN
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
00801
YOM:
1970
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
12
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
47
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After landing on runway 36 at Cairo-Almaza Airport, the four engine airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran, lost its undercarriage and came to rest. All 59 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. It was determined that the crew was scheduled to land at Cairo International Airport runway 34 but following a poor flight preparation and several mistakes on approach, the crew descended to Almaza Airport instead of the international airport. At the time of the accident, the first portion of 650 meters of runway 34 at International Airport were closed to traffic due to repair. Thinking they were landing on the right airport, the crew landed at Almaza runway 36 700 meters past its threshold. In such conditions, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance of runway 36 (1,890 meters), which is a relative short for such aircraft type.
Probable cause:
Crew error.

Crash of a Boeing KC-97G Stratotanker near Suez: 7 killed

Date & Time: Sep 17, 1971
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
4X-FPR/033
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
MSN:
16714
YOM:
1952
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
While conducting a survey flight, the airplane was shot down by an Egyptian missile after it penetrated the Egyptian airspace. It crashed in a desert area located near Suez. A crew member survived while seven others were killed.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a surface-to-air missile.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24B in Cairo: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 19, 1970
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
SU-ANZ
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Cairo - Cairo
MSN:
57302007
YOM:
1965
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew (one instructeur, a captain and a copilot under supervision) was engaged in a local training flight at Cairo-Intl Airport. Following five successful touch-and-goes, the crew initiated a sixth manoeuvre during which the pilot under training was supposed to perform a complete stop on the runway then to increase power and initiate a take off with one engine inoperative. After liftoff, while climbing to a height of some 50 meters, the airplane banked right to an angle of 90° then crashed by the runway shoulder. The airplane was destroyed and all three crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the pilot-in-command failed to observe the takeoff procedures and adopted a wrong takeoff configuration. The lack of supervision on part of the instructor and the captain was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24B in Cairo

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1970
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
SU-AOC
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
57302103
YOM:
1965
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Alexandria Airport, the crew informed ATC about the explosion of the left engine and requested the permission to divert to Cairo-Intl Airport for an emergency landing. Due to severe damages caused by the explosion, the crew was unable to lower the gear nor the flaps. Eventually, the captain decided to belly landed in a sandy area located near the runway 05. The airplane slid for dozen yards, came to rest and was damaged beyond repair while all 15 occupants escaped uninjured.
Probable cause:
Explosion of the left engine due to the presence of a foreign object in the rear cone of the left engine nacelle.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24B in Luxor

Date & Time: Jan 30, 1970
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
SU-AOK
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
67302805
YOM:
1966
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Upon landing at Luxor Airport, one of the main landing gear collapsed. The airplane slid for dozen meters before coming to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Gear collapsed on landing for undetermined reason.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-90-DL in Suez: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1969 at 1930 LT
Operator:
Registration:
ET-AAQ
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Asmara - Cairo
MSN:
20174
YOM:
1944
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
While in cruising altitude, the twin engine airplane was shot down and crashed in an uninhabited area located about 3 km south from Suez. The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants were killed. It was reported that the aircraft was overflying a prohibited area when it was shot down. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was not equipped with a VOR receiver and the crew informed ATC about the fact he was unable to receive the information transmitted by the Cairo NDB.
Probable cause:
Shot down.