Benghazi (بنغازي) | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

During the takeoff roll, smoke spread in the cockpit and cabin. The pilot abandoned the takeoff procedure and stopped the airplane onto the runway. All six occupants were able to evacuate the cabin before the aircraft would be totally destroyed by fire.

Probable cause:

It is believed that an engine caught fire during takeoff for unknown reason.

Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft C-45F Expeditor in Benghazi: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 28, 1964 at 1930 LT

Type of aircraft:

Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor

Operator:

Registration:

N178L

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

AF-463

YOM:

1953

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

3875

Captain / Total hours on type:

200.00

Circumstances:

On final approach to Benghazi, the pilot encountered marginal weather conditions. Due to a sand storm, he attempted a go-around when control was lost. The airplane stalled and crashed near the runway threshold, killing both occupants.

Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland U-1A off Benghazi: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jan 4, 1960 at 1538 LT

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DHC-3 Otter

Operator:

Registration:

55-2974

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Misrata - Benghazi

MSN:

YOM:

1954

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While overflying the Gulf of Sirte, the single engine aircraft crashed into the sea in unknown circumstances. SAR operations were conducted over a large area but no trace of the aircraft nor the 10 occupants was ever found.

Crash of a Vickers 748D Viscount in Benghazi: 36 killed

Date & Time: Aug 9, 1958 at 0115 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Viscount

Operator:

Registration:

VP-YNE

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Salisbury – Léopoldville – Entebbe – Khartoum – Wadi Halfa – Benghazi – Rome – London

MSN:

102

YOM:

1956

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

9158

Captain / Total hours on type:

920.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

3204

Copilot / Total hours on type:

961

Circumstances:

The flight is a scheduled service from Salisbury, Rhodesia, to London and is known as the Zambezi service. This service is operated by three crews, one crew operating from Salisbury to Entebbe, the second from Entebbe to Benina and the third from Benina to London. On 8 August this service departed from Salisbury at 0713LT and a stop was made at Ndola for traffic purposes. At Entebbe, a relief crew took over the aircraft for the sector to Benina. Stops were made at Khartoum and Wadi Halfa for refuelling and the aircraft left Wadi Halfa at 2120LT for Benina. The flight was completely uneventful and slightly ahead of schedule up to the time of the accident. At 0112 hours the aircraft was cleared into Benina control zone. At the request of the pilot, at 0114 hours, permission was given by Benina Approach Control to make a direct approach on to runway 330° Right, using the locator and the responder beacons. Between 20 and 30 seconds after this clearance had been acknowledged by the pilot the aircraft struck high ground 5,5 miles to the southeast of the aerodrome. Fire broke out on impact. Of the 7 crew and 47 passengers aboard the aircraft, 4 crew and 32 passengers were killed.

Probable cause:

The cause of the accident was that when making an approach to runway 330° Right and whilst flying in cloud, the pilot descended below the correct height thus permitting the aircraft to strike high ground. The reason why the pilot descended so low, 5,5 miles from the aerodrome, cannot be established, but the most probable cause is that he misinterpreted the reading of his altimeter. The possibility that his efficiency had been reduced by fatigue and a slight indisposition cannot be excluded.

Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide near Benghazi

Date & Time: May 27, 1957

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide

Operator:

Bahamas Helicopters

Registration:

G-AKTZ

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Desert

MSN:

6482

YOM:

1948

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Upon landing in a desert area in Benghazi, a tire burst. The airplane came to rest and was damaged beyond repair. All four occupants escaped uninjured.

Probable cause:

Tire burst on landing.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings C1 in Benina: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1950

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings

Operator:

Registration:

TG574

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

El Adem – Tripoli

MSN:

YOM:

1949

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising at the assigned altitude of 8,500 feet, a propeller blade on the engine number two separated and penetrated the fuselage, killing the copilot who was sitting in the crew room. The captain informed ground and decided to divert to Benina Airport. Few minutes later, the engine number two detached from its mount and hit the elevator, causing the aircraft to be difficult to control. On final approach to Benina, the aircraft was rolling left to right, stalled and crashed in flames upside down few dozen yards from the runway threshold. Five crew members, among them the captain, were killed, while 29 other occupants were evacuated, some of them slightly injured.

Probable cause:

Loss of a propeller blade and separation of the engine number two in flight.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-14 near Benghazi: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 9, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

6N+DR

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

7949

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances near Benghazi while on an operation against the city. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Lt Guenther Barett, pilot,
Uffz Peter Woerner, observer,
Uffz Franz Joba, radio operator,
Obfw Rudolf Mayer, air gunner.

Crash of a Martin B-26A-1 Marauder off Benghazi: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1942 at 1400 LT

Type of aircraft:

Martin B-26 Marauder

Operator:

Registration:

FK367

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Berka III - Berka III

MSN:

7422

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Berka III Airfield at 0845LT to carry out a shipping strike between Zuara and Tripoli. Around noon, as no ships were sighted, the crew decided to return when the airplane was attacked by several German fighters. On the way back, an engine failed due to fuel shortage, and approaching the coast, the second engine also failed due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot attempted to ditch the airplane when it crash landed 24 km off Benghazi, bursting into flames. Three crew members were rescued and four others were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Leonard Alexander Einsaar, pilot,
Sgt Leslie Reginald Dixon, copilot,
Sgt Tom Ellis Exell, observer, †
F/Sgt Ralph Isaac Ploskin, observer, †
Sgt Percival Cockington, wireless operator, †
Sgt Leonard Basil Willcocks, wireless operator,
Sgt Alan Edwin Watts, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by German fighters.

Crash of a Grumman G-21A Goose I off Benghazi

Date & Time: Dec 9, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Grumman G-21A Goose

Operator:

Registration:

HK822

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Heliopolis - Heliopolis

MSN:

1212

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing landing tests off Benghazi when the seaplane crashed in unknown circumstances into the Mediterranean sea, some 24 km offshore. All seven occupants were rescued the next day in a dinghy while the airplane sank and was lost.
Crew:
F/L John Phillip Bartle, pilot,
P/O Charles Farquhar McWilliam, copilot.
Passengers:
F/O Stanley O'Donnell,
Lac Gerald Cheston Allen,
Lac Geoffrey Thomas Richards,
Lac John Douglas Richards,
Ac1 W. J. Milburn.