Date & Time: Jun 27, 2008 at 0705 LT
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-12
Operator:
Registration:
ST-ARN
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Khartoum – Juba
MSN:
8 3 460 10
YOM:
1968
Location:
Malakal
Upper Nile (أعالي النيل)
Country:
South Sudan
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
7
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
7
Captain / Total flying hours:
13300
Captain / Total hours on type:
5000
Copilot / Total flying hours:
11535
Copilot / Total hours on type:
3300
Aircraft flight hours:
14597
Aircraft flight cycles:
6924
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Khartoum at 0555LT on a cargo flight to Juba with 8 crew members on board. While cruising at FL170 in bad weather conditions, the engines n° 1 failed. One minute later, the engine n°3 failed as well, followed 40 seconds later by the failure of the engine n°4. The aircraft initiated a descent with a rate of 3,450 feet per minute and reach the altitude of 800 feet three minutes and 40 seconds after the failure of the engine n°1. At an altitude of 600 feet, the crew stabilized the aircraft and elected to restart the three engines but without success. Too low, the aircraft struck trees, lost its left stabilizer and crashed in a prairie 264 metres past the initial impact, bursting into flames. A crew member was rescued while 7 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Loss of control and subsequent ground impact following the failure of engine n°1, 3 and 4.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- The crew entered an area of thunderstorm activity with turbulences and icing conditions,
- Unserviceability or sudden failure of the weather radar,
- Accumulation of ice caused the blockage of the engines air intake assembly,
- Following impact with trees, the aircraft lost parts and the running engine n°2 caused the fire.