Country
code

Addis Ababa City District

Crash of a Vickers VC-10-1154 in Addis Ababa: 43 killed

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1972 at 0939 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5X-UVA
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Nairobi – Addis Ababa – Rome – London
MSN:
881
YOM:
1966
Flight number:
EC720
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
96
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
43
Captain / Total flying hours:
8769
Captain / Total hours on type:
752.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2744
Copilot / Total hours on type:
640
Aircraft flight hours:
18586
Circumstances:
East African Airways Flight EC-720 to London via Addis Ababa and Rome departed Nairobi at 06:55 hours. The flight to Addis Ababa was uneventful and the VC10 landed there at 08:23. During the transit stop at Addis Ababa, some freight was off-loaded together with 40 passengers. Fifteen passengers joined the flight and the airplane was refueled. Start up clearance was given at 09:21 hours and the aircraft taxied out six minutes later via the eastern taxiway for takeoff on runway 07. The tower advised the aircraft that the wind was 5 knots and variable in direction. At 09:32 hours, as the aircraft was backtracking to the takeoff point, the pilot reported a number of dead birds on the runway. He requested that these birds be removed before the aircraft took off. A fire truck was dispatched to take care of this. The aircraft continued to backtrack down the runway and turned in the pad at the end. It then lined up on the runway and stopped a short distance from the threshold. At 09:38:40 hours, the tower cleared the aircraft for takeoff. Shortly after the aircraft had passed the mid-point of the runway, at or just below the V1 speed, the nose wheel ran over a steel jacking pad. This jacking pad belonged to a Cessna 185 that had departed 4:40 earlier. The pad punctured the right hand nose wheel tire. A loud bang was heard and severe vibration was felt on the flight deck. Almost immediately after the nose wheel tire had burst, the nose of the aircraft rose momentarily and then come down. The flight crew decided to abort the takeoff. The engines were throttled back and reverse thrust was selected. The aircraft continued down the runway, veering slightly to the right. Then the no.1 rear main tire burst. Just before the aircraft reached the end of the runway, it veered slightly to the left and ran approximately parallel to the centre line. After crossing a storm drain located at the end of the runway at right angles to the centre line, the aircraft became momentarily airborne as it left the lip of the embankment on which the 60 m stopway was laid. As it did so, the left outer wing of the aircraft struck a steel lattice tower forming part of the approach lighting system to runway 25. This ruptured the no. 1A fuel tank and the released fuel promptly ignited. Sixty meters beyond the end of the runway the aircraft fell heavily on to the lower ground 10.6 m below the runway level. It broke up immediately on impact and after sliding a short distance, came to rest and caught fire.
Probable cause:
The accident was due to a partial loss of braking effort arising from incorrect re-assembly of part of the braking system, as a result of which the aircraft could not be stopped within the emergency distance remaining following a properly executed abandoned take-off procedure.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DH.106 Comet 4C in Addis Ababa

Date & Time: Jan 14, 1970 at 0418 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
SU-ANI
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Cairo - Khartoum - Addis Ababa
MSN:
6475
YOM:
1964
Flight number:
MS755
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The approach to Addis Ababa-Haile Selassie I Airport was completed by night and marginal weather conditions. On final, at an altitude of 150 feet, the pilot-in-command made a visual contact with runway 32 but the aircraft was 250 feet to the right of the extended centerline. The captain decided to make a turn to the left when the aircraft banked left, lost height and struck the ground. Out of control, it crashed by the runway and came to rest. All 14 occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration on part of the flying crew who continued the approach below minima weather conditions and passed the minimum descent altitude without any visual contact with the ground or runway. In such conditions, the captain should make a go-around procedure.

Crash of a Lockheed L-749A-79 Constellation in Addis Ababa: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 2, 1964
Operator:
Registration:
LX-IOK
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Dublin – Addis-Ababa
MSN:
2562
YOM:
1947
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
After touchdown at Addis-Ababa-Bole, following an uneventful cargo flight from Dublin, the airplane went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest. The captain was killed in the accident while six other crew members were injured. It is believed that control was lost while the pilot was attempting a go around manoeuvre for unknown reason. While increasing power on all four engines, they stopped simultaneously, causing the aircraft to crash.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK in Addis Ababa

Date & Time: Nov 30, 1963 at 1433 LT
Operator:
Registration:
ET-AAT
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Addis Ababa - Addis Ababa
MSN:
13483
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
18245
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local post-maintenance test flight. At liftoff, the airplane banked left, struck the ground and came to rest. All three crew members were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the loss of control was the consequence of a poor maintenance check on part of the company technicians who wrongly reconnected the ailerons cables prior to the test flight.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.95 Flamingo in Addis Ababa

Date & Time: Nov 18, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
G-AFYG
Flight Phase:
MSN:
95010
YOM:
1940
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on take off from Addis Ababa-Lideta Airport. Occupant fate unknown.

Crash of a Potez 25.A2 in Jan Meda

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1934
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
1
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances in Jan Meda, in the suburb of Addis Ababa, somewhere in January 1934 (exact date unknown). The airplane was named 'Nesre Tafari'. Occupant fate unknown.