Region
Africa

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 in Tamanrasset

Date & Time: Jun 17, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
N7119
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Topographic
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Tamanrasset - Tamanrasset
MSN:
4784
YOM:
1942
Location:
Tamanrasset
Tamanrasset
Country:
Algeria
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll at Tamanrasset Airport, the right engine failed without enough distance to stop. After takeoff, due to very rough terrain, the crew made a left turn out and attempted to return to the airport. Unfortunately, while trying to climb over a rather large rock hill, the aircraft stalled and smacked the top of it. The airplane crash landed in a rocky area, the right engine was sheared off and came to rest behind the airplane. The left engine departed the wing and after passing through and partly under the fuselage, ended up behind the right wing. All three crew members escaped with minor injuries.
Crew:
Jim Bennett, pilot,
Dave Fenwick, pilot,
Mike O'Connor, electronics operator.
Probable cause:
Failure of the right engine at takeoff.

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:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Algiers - Biskra
MSN:
LB-15
YOM:
1969
Location:
Arris
Batna
Country:
Algeria
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
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 Sud-Est Aviation SE-210 Caravelle VI-N near Aïn Naga: 35 killed

Date & Time: Jul 26, 1969 at 0130 LT
Type of aircraft:
Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle
Operator:
Registration:
7T-VAK
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Marseille – Algiers – Hassi Messaoud
MSN:
73
YOM:
1961
Location:
Aïn Naga
Biskra
Country:
Algeria
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
30
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
35
Circumstances:
The airplane was completing a charter flight from Marseille to Hassi Messaoud with an intermediate stop in Algiers, carrying French technicians flying to the Oil facilities in Hassi Messaoud. While in cruising altitude by night, an electrical short-circuit occurred in the cockpit panel, causing smoke to spread. The crew declared an emergency and elected to divert to Biskra Airport. While descending to Biskra, the airplane went out of control and crashed in flames in a desert area located near Aïn Naga, some 40 km southeast of Biskra. Both pilots were seriously injured while all 35 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Electrical short-circuit in the cockpit panel in flight.

Crash of a Douglas DC-4 in Tamanrasset: 35 killed

Date & Time: Apr 11, 1967 at 2014 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-4
Operator:
Registration:
7T-VAU
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Algiers – Ghardaïa – Hassi Messaoud – In Amenas – Djanet – Tamanrasset
MSN:
3065
YOM:
1943
Location:
Tamanrasset
Tamanrasset
Country:
Algeria
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
33
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
35
Circumstances:
The four engine aircraft was completing a flight from Algiers to Tamanrasset with intermediate stops in Ghardaïa, Hassi Messaoud, In Amenas and Djanet. It was scheduled that some tourists should embark at Djanet Airport but for unknown reason, no one embarked or disembarked at Djanet. While approaching Tamanrasset Airport by night, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the airplane struck a mountain slope located 8 km from the airport and exploded. The wreckage was found about 300 meters below the summit and the aircraft was completely destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. Four passengers were seriously injured (two Algerians and two Swiss) while all 35 other occupants were killed, among them Swiss and French tourists.
The Swiss citizens killed were:
Peter Messikommer,
Reinhard Wyss,
Hans Grieshaber,
Christina Grieshaber,
Wilhelm Leisinger,
Othmar Lienhard,
Fritz Matter,
Emma Holenstein,
Jacques Bachmann,
Werner Luethy,
Raymond Dorner,
Gilberte Dorner,
Anne-Marie Lombard,
Michel Sechy,
Mrs. Sechy,
Juerg Sechy.
Those who survived were:
Jacques Lombard,
Aurelio Fogacci.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Douglas C-54A-15-DC Skymaster in Algiers

Date & Time: Jun 11, 1965
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-54 Skymaster
Operator:
Registration:
7T-VAC
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
10421
YOM:
1944
Location:
Algiers-Dar El Beïda
Algiers
Country:
Algeria
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Suffered a ground accident at Algiers-Dar El Beïda Airport. There were no casualties but the airplane was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-5-DK in Hassi Messaoud

Date & Time: May 22, 1963
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
F-OAVR
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
14520/25965
YOM:
1944
Location:
Hassi Messaoud
Ouargla
Country:
Algeria
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on landing at Hassi Messaoud Airport. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

Crash of a Nord 2501 Noratlas in Col des Deux Bassins: 11 killed

Date & Time: Mar 20, 1962 at 2030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Nord 2501 Noratlas
Operator:
Registration:
204
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Ouargla – Boufarik
MSN:
204
YOM:
0
Location:
Col des Deux Bassins
Médéa
Country:
Algeria
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Aircraft flight hours:
358
Circumstances:
While approaching Boufarik AFB by night and poor weather conditions, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located near Col des Deux Bassins, about 38 km southeast of Boufarik Airfield. The aircraft was destroyed and all 11 occupants were killed. Brand new, it was delivered in November 1961.

Crash of a Douglas A-26B-55-DL Invader in Algeria: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 28, 1961
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-26 Invader
Operator:
Registration:
44-34411/F-UIJD
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Oran - Oran
MSN:
27690
YOM:
1944
Location:
Algeria
All Algeria
Country:
Algeria
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew left Oran-Es Senia Airport on a night patrol flight over the Morice Line located in the east part of Algeria. While cruising by night in formation with a second Douglas A-26 registered 44-35765 (F-UIJH), both airplanes collided and crashed, killing all eight occupants on both aircraft.

Crash of a Douglas A-26C-45-DT Invader in Algeria: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 28, 1961
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-26 Invader
Operator:
Registration:
44-35765/F-UIJH
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Oran - Oran
MSN:
29044
YOM:
1944
Location:
Algeria
All Algeria
Country:
Algeria
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew left Oran-Es Senia Airport on a night patrol flight over the Morice Line located in the east part of Algeria. While cruising by night in formation with a second Douglas A-26 registered 44-34411 (F-UIJD), both airplanes collided and crashed, killing all eight occupants on both aircraft.

Crash of a Lockheed L-1649 Starliner near Ghadames: 78 killed

Date & Time: May 10, 1961 at 0112 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-1649 Starliner
Operator:
Registration:
F-BHBM
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Brazzaville – Bangui – Fort Lamy – Marseille – Paris
MSN:
1027
YOM:
1957
Flight number:
AF406
Location:
Zarzaitine-In Amenas
Illizi
Country:
Algeria
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
69
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
78
Circumstances:
While cruising by night at an altitude of 20,000 feet vertical to the Sahara Desert, the airplane disintegrated in the air and crashed in a desert area located in the east part of Algeria, at the border with Libya. The crew was unable to send any distress call. The debris were scattered on a wide area between Ghadamès (Libya) and Zarzaïtine, Algeria. All 78 occupants were killed in the crash.
Crew:
Mr. Bouchier, pilot,
Mr. Best, copilot,
Mr. Baylion, navigator,
Mr. Guntz, radio operator,
Mr. Gambart de Lignières, mechanic,
Mr. Burgaut, mechanic,
Mrs. Chiapolino, stewardess,
Mr. Eichelberger, steward,
Mr. Pasqueron, steward.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the probable cause of the accident was an act of sabotage with the denotation of a nitrocellulose explosive device. The reasons and the authors of this act remains unknown.
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