Date & Time:
Oct 18, 1963
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-12
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Cairo – Aswan
Country:
Egypt
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
6
Pax on board:
25
Pax fatalities:
25
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
31
Circumstances:
On final approach to Aswan Airport, the crew encountered poor visibility caused by a sandstorm. On final, the captain decided to reduce his altitude in an attempt to establish a visual contact with the ground when the airplane struck a sand dune and crashed in flames some three km short of runway threshold. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 31 occupants were killed, among them 25 Egyptian soldiers and six Russian crew members.
