Region

Crash of a Lockheed C-130H Hercules in Biskra: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 3, 2018
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
7T-WHT
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Biskra - Biskra
MSN:
4911
YOM:
1981
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
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 an Ilyushin II-76TD at Boufarik AFB: 257 killed

Date & Time: Apr 11, 2018 at 0750 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
7T-WIV
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Boufarik – Béchar – Tindouf
MSN:
1043419649
YOM:
1994
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
247
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
257
Circumstances:
The aircraft was engaged in a troop transport from Boufarik to Tindouf with an intermediate stop in Béchar, west Algeria, and was carrying 247 soldiers and their family members and 10 crew members. Shortly after takeoff from the Boufarik AFB located some 25 km southwest of Algiers, while climbing to a height of about 150 meters, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in an agricultural zone located near the airport, bursting into flames. The airplane was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. It was quickly confirmed by the Algerian Authorities that none of the 257 occupants survived the crash, among them 26 members of the Front Polisario. According to first testimonies, it appears that the left wing (engine?) was on fire when control was lost.

Crash of a Learjet 35A in Tamanrasset

Date & Time: Oct 25, 2014 at 1513 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
D-CFAX
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tamanrasset – Bata
MSN:
35-135
YOM:
1977
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane was completing an ambulance flight (positioning) from Europe to Bata, Equatorial Guinea, with an intermediate stop in Tamanrasset, carrying a medical team of two doctors and two pilots. During the takeoff roll from Tamanrasset-Aguenar Airport, the crew heard a loud noise and decided to abort. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran and came to rest. All four occupants escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of an Antonov AN-12BK in Tamanrasset: 7 killed

Date & Time: Aug 30, 2014 at 0244 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
UR-DWF
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Glasgow – Ghardaïa – Tamanrasset – Malabo
MSN:
8 3 458 02
YOM:
1968
Flight number:
UKL4061
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The four engine aircraft was performing a cargo flight from Glasgow-Prestwick to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, with intermediate stops in Ghardaïa and Tamanrasset. On board were seven crew members and a load consisting of oil equipment. About three minutes after takeoff from Tamanrasset-Aguenar-Hadj Bey Akhamok Airport, radio contact was lost when the aircraft crashed in a mountainous terrain located some 15 km south of the airport. The wreckage was found few hours later. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all seven crew members (six Ukrainians and one Russian) were killed.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130H-30 Hercules in Aïn Kercha: 76 killed

Date & Time: Feb 11, 2014 at 1138 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
7T-WHM
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Tamanrasset – Constantine
MSN:
4919
YOM:
1982
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
73
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
76
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Tamanrasset on a flight to Constantine, carrying soldiers and their family members. The crew initiated the descent to Constantine-Mohamed Boudiaf Airport Runway 34 in poor weather conditions with wind gusting to 28 knots and light snow. The crew descended too low when the aircraft impacted the slope of Mt Djebel Ta Fertas located near Aïn Kercha, some 30 km south of Constantine Airport. A passenger was injured while 76 other occupants were killed.

Crash of a Beechcraft 1900D in Ghardaïa: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 28, 2004 at 2101 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
7T-VIN
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Hassi R’Mel – Ghardaïa
MSN:
UE-365
YOM:
1999
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
1742
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Hassi R'Mel-Tilrhempt Airport at 2030LT on a 15-minutes charter flight to Ghardaïa, carrying three crew members and two employees of the Sonatrach (Société Nationale pour le Transport et la Commercialisation d’Hydrocarbures). At 2044LT, the crew was cleared for a right hand circuit in preparation for an approach to runway 30. At that moment a Boeing 727 inbound from Djanet was on long finals. The copilot stated that he intended to carry out an NDB/ILS approach to runway 30. The captain however preferred a visual approach. The copilot carried out the captain's course and descent instructions with hesitation. At 2057LT, the EGPWS alarm sounded. Power was added and a climb was initiated from a lowest altitude of 240 feet above ground level. The captain then took over control and assumed the role of Pilot Flying. The airplane manoeuvred south of the airport until 2101LT when the copilot saw the runway. The captain rolled left to -57° and pitched down to -18.9° in order to steer the airplane towards the runway. Again the EGPWS sounded but the descent continued until the airplane impacted the ground and broke up. All five occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed. A day later, the copilot died from his injuries.
Probable cause:
The Commission believes that the accident can be explained by a series of several causes which, taken separately, would not lead to an accident.
The causes are related to:
1 - the lack of rigor in the approach and landing phase evidenced by a failure to follow standard operating procedures, including the arrival checklist.
2 - the failure to strictly comply with the holding, approach and landing procedures in force for the aerodrome of Ghardaïa.
3 - the fact that the captain seemed occupied by the visual search maneuvers that put him temporarily out of the control loop. He was so focused on the visual search for the runway and abandoned the monitoring of parameters that are critical for the safety of the flight. This concentration completely disoriented him.
4 - the fact that the crew did not respond appropriately to different alarms that occurred, indicating a lack of control in the operation of the aircraft in that kind of situation. Lack of control was apparently due to his lack of training on this aircraft type.
5 - The activities in the southern part of Algeria may cause a certain routine that can promote the tendency to conduct visual approaches. It seems, indeed, that the crew is more experienced in visual flights.
6 - A lack of coordination and communication between the crew members flying together for the first time.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130H Hercules at Boufarik AFB: 15 killed

Date & Time: Jun 30, 2003 at 1100 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
7T-WHQ
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Boufarik AFB - Boufarik AFB
MSN:
4926
YOM:
1982
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
15
Circumstances:
The crew departed Boufarik AFB on a local training flight. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the crew informed ATC about an engine fire and elected to return for an emergency landing. Few seconds later, control was lost and the aircraft crashed in the district of Beni Mered, less than 2 km from the end of runway 22. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire as well as eight houses. All four crew members were killed as well as 11 people on the ground. Six other people on the ground were seriously injured.
Probable cause:
Engine fire for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Boeing 737-2T4 in Tamanrasset: 102 killed

Date & Time: Mar 6, 2003 at 1515 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
7T-VEZ
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tamanrasset - Ghardaia - Algiers
MSN:
22700
YOM:
1983
Flight number:
AH6289
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
97
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
102
Captain / Total flying hours:
10760
Captain / Total hours on type:
1087.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
5219
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1292
Aircraft flight hours:
41472
Aircraft flight cycles:
27184
Circumstances:
The aircraft was taking off from Tamanrasset to undertake, with a three-hour delay, scheduled flight DAH 6289 to Ghardaïa and Algiers. Six crew members (two flight crew and four cabin crew) and 97 passengers were on board. The co-pilot was pilot flying. No technical exemptions or deferred maintenance items applied to the airplane; on departure from Algiers it had been subject to routine maintenance for a minor technical problem, a hydraulic pump having been changed in the circuit B landing gear bay. The speeds decided on by the crew were V1 = 144 kt, VR = 146 kt, V2 = 150 kt. The EPR displayed was 2.18, that is to say nominal maximum thrust on take-off. At 14 h 01 min 37 s, the crew requested start-up clearance. At 14 h 08 min 36 s, the tower cleared the airplane to taxi, enter and taxi up runway 02. The wind was 330 at 12 kt. At 14 h 12 min 30 s, the co-pilot called out “we’re ready”. At 14 h 12 min 31 s, the tower cleared flight 6289 to line up and take off. At 14 h 13 min 36 s, flight DAH 6289 announced take-off. About five seconds after airplane rotation, at the moment when gear retraction was requested, a sharp thumping noise was recorded on the CVR. The airplane’s heading veered to the left, followed by a track correction. The Captain announced that he was taking over the controls. A short time later, the co-pilot told the control tower “we have a small problem”. The airplane continued to climb and reached a recorded height of about 400 ft. The speed dropped progressively from 160 kt during airplane lift-off to stall speed at the end of the recording. In fact, about ten seconds before, the noise of the stick shaker is heard on the CVR (which usually indicates that the airplane is 7% from its stall speed). The “Don’t Sink” aural warning, which normally indicates a loss of altitude during take-off when the airplane is below nine hundred feet, appeared about six seconds before the end of the recording. The airplane, with landing gear extended, struck the ground on its right side. A severe fire broke out immediately. The airplane slid along, losing various parts, struck and knocked over the airport perimeter fence then crossed a road before coming to a halt in flames. The control tower immediately sounded the alert.
Probable cause:
Probable causes:
The accident was caused by the loss of an engine during a critical phase of flight, the non-retraction of the landing gear after the engine failure, and the Captain, the PNF, taking over control of the airplane before having clearly identified the problem.
The following factors probably contributed to the accident:
• the perfunctory flight preparation, which meant that the crew were not equipped to face the situation that occurred at a critical moment of the flight;
• the coincidence between the moment the failure occurred and the request to retract the landing gear;
• the speed of the event that left the crew little time to recover the situation;
• maintaining an inappropriate rate of climb, taking into account the failure of one engine;
• the absence of any teamwork after the engine failure, which led to a failure to detect and correct parameters related to the conduct of the flight (speed, rate of climb, configuration, etc.);
• the takeoff weight being close to the maximum with a high aerodrome altitude and high temperature;
• the rocky environment around the aerodrome, unsuitable for an emergency landing.
Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 727-2D6 in Constantine

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1999
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
7T-VEH
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Paris - Constantine
MSN:
20955
YOM:
1974
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
92
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After landing at Constantine Airport, the three engine aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran and collided with a snow bank, causing the nose gear to collapse. All 99 occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Boeing 737-2D6C in Tlemcen

Date & Time: Aug 2, 1996
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
7T-VED
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tlemcen - Algiers
MSN:
20650
YOM:
1972
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
100
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
43293
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll, the captain noted a difference in the engine N1 readings. He decided to abandon the takeoff procedure and initiated an emergency braking manoeuvre. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran, lost its nose gear and came to rest 40 metres further. All 106 occupants escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.