Biskra | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Following an uneventful paratroopers mission over the area of Biskra, the crew was returning to Biskra-Mohamed Khider Airport. On final approach, the airplane stalled and crashed few hundre metres short of runway, coming to rest broken in two. All nine crew members were injured and the aircraft was destroyed. A day later, one of the survivor died from his injuries.

Crash of a Beechcraft 70 Queen Air in Arris: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jan 21, 1971

Type of aircraft:

Beechcraft 70 Queen Air

Operator:

Registration:

7T-VSI

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Algiers - Biskra

MSN:

LB-15

YOM:

1969

Location:

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Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

Operated by Air Algérie, the twin engine aircraft was chartered by an Oil Company to transfer four French and two Algerian engineers to Biskra. While cruising in limited visibility, the crew started the descent when the airplane struck a mountain slope located in the Aurès Mountain Range. The wreckage was found near Arris, some 80 km northeast of Biskra Airport. All eight occupants were killed, among them to French pilots.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-5-DK in Biskra: 32 killed

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1957

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

F-BEIK

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

El Oued – Biskra – Alger – Marseille – Paris

MSN:

14411/25856

YOM:

1944

Location:

Biskra

Country:

Algeria

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Biskra Airport, while climbing, the left engine failed. The aircraft stalled and crashed less than one km from the airfield and was destroyed upon impact. All 32 occupants have been killed.
Crew:
Jean-Marie Girardeau-Montaut, pilot,
M. Leclerc, copilot,
M. Vergnolle, radio operator,
M. Lageat, mechanic,
M. Ramel, steward.

Probable cause:

Failure of the left engine during initial climb.

Crash of a SNCAC NC.702 Martinet near Palestro: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jan 8, 1948

Type of aircraft:

SNCAC NC.701/702 Martinet

Operator:

Compagnie Algérienne des Transports Aériens - CATA

Registration:

F-BDLG

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Algiers – Biskra – Philippeville

MSN:

275

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Circumstances:

While cruising in marginal weather conditions, the radio navigator informed ground that an engine failed and elected to return to Algiers. Shortly later, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in an affluent of the Isser River, about 11 km from Palestro (now Lakhdaria). All nine occupants were killed.
Crew:
Mr. Péhu, pilot,
Mr. Suhaud, radio navigator.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Douglas C-54B-1-DC near Biskra: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 18, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Operator:

Registration:

42-72372

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Desert

MSN:

10477

YOM:

1944

Location:

Biskra

Country:

Algeria

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

Crashed in a desert area located some 96 km southeast of Biskra, killing all four crew members.
Crew:
Cpt Lawrence G. Boyts,
F/O Arthur M. Cranmer,
T/Sgt Rowland R. Moss,
Cpl Edward J. Ryan.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-30-DL in Oujda: 16 killed

Date & Time: Jun 3, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

FD886

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Biskra – Oujda

MSN:

9538

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft left Biskra at 0643LT on a routine transport flight to Oujda. Five minutes before its own signaled ETA, the pilot took advantage of a hole in the cloud over which he had been flying for some considerable time, to get below the cloud. Upon breaking cloud, the aircraft was seen to circle in a valley. Unaccountably, the aircraft was seen to turn to port and climb into cloud away from a road and valley, which was clear, with visibility 4 to 5 miles below cloud. The mountaintop was covered by drifting cloud at the time and the aircraft was climbing steeply when it crashed. It crashed into the side of a mountain, killing 16 on board. One passenger survived.
Source:
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19440603-2

Probable cause:

An Inquiry into the accident found that "the accident was a gross error of judgement by the pilot in flying blind unnecessarily when uncertain of his position, and for the navigator’s poor navigation who did not use all means at his disposal."