Ankara

The airplane departed Diyarbakir Airport at 1250LT on a flight to Ankara, carrying 28 passengers and six crew members on behalf of the 2nd Tactical Aerial Force. About 25 minutes into the flight, while cruising in poor weather conditions, the crew declared an emergency and elected to divert to Malatya-Erhaç Airport. Shortly later, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent, rolled to the left, completed three successive barrels then crashed in an apricot tree plantation located near Akçadağ. The airplane was totally destroyed and all 34 occupants were killed. The loss of control occurred in poor weather conditions (rain and hail) while the airplane was cruising at an altitude of 17,000 feet and at a speed of 444 km/h.
Crew:
Maj Lütfü Ceylan, pilot,
Lt Murat Erdeveci, pilot,
Lt Yılmaz Tekgül, pilot,
Cpt Hakan Bizrelli,
Lt Mahir Turan, pilot,
Yilmaz Gulhan.
Passengers:
Lt Levent Sahin,
Halil Helvacioğlu,
Ümit Basaran,
Nadir Turkmène,
Mikail Altıntas,
Hasan Ersoy,
Turan Kalin,
Zeki Çınar,
Sudi Doruk,
Mehmet Özden,
Ebubekir Çakıcı,
S/Sgt Yılmaz Aydın,
S/Sgt Mahmut Öner,
Zahit Çelik,
Garçon Saadetin,
Sgt Tuncay Urhan,
Sgt Ferhat Öztürk,
Sgt Ersin Bartan,
Sgt Bulent Haluk Demir,
Sgt Isa Turkmène,
Pvt Halit Güney,
Pvt Erdal Şimşek,
Pvt Aydın Uçar,
Pvt Mutlu Kaymakçı,
Pvt Mehmet Ali Karabudak,
Nedim Akyol,
Şefik Ayaydın,
Pvt Atakan Caran.

Following an uneventful flight from Ankara, the aircraft landed at Siirt Airport runway 24/06 which is 1,660 metres long. After touchdown on a wet runway, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and came to rest few dozen metres further. All 46 occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. All conditions were not met for a safe landing and the braking action was moderate to poor. Aquaplaning was suspected.

On final approach to Bursa-Yenisehir Airport, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions. Due to low visibility, he was unable to establish a visual contact with the approach and runway lights and initiated a go-around procedure. While completing a circuit, the twin engine aircraft struck the top of a hill located near the airport and crashed. A passenger was killed while four other occupants were injured.

Shortly after takeoff from Güvercinlik AFB, while climbing in poor weather conditions, the crew reported engines problems and severe vibrations. He was cleared to divert to Ankara-Esenboğa Airport when the aircraft lost height and crashed on the parking of a post office located in the district of Yenimahalle in Ankara. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all five occupants were killed as well as one people on the ground, among them General Eşref Turgut Bitlis, Chief of the Turkish Police. At the time of the accident, visibility was limited to 1,500 metres due to snow falls with an OAT of -4° C.
Crew:
Yaşar Erian, pilot,
Yüzbaşı Tuğrul Sezginler, pilot.
Passengers:
Gen Eşref Turgut Bitlis,
Col Fahir Işık,
Sgt-Maj Emin Öner.

The crew encountered poor weather conditions and limited visibility due to fog while approaching Ankara-Esenboğa Airport. For unknown reasons, the airplane deviated from the approach path when it struck the slope of Mt Cubuk located about 32 km north from the airport. A crew member and three passengers were seriously injured while 41 other occupants were killed.

Leased by Saudi Arabian Airlines, the aircraft was completing a charter flight (hajj flight) from Jeddah to Ankara. En route, the crew was informed about poor weather conditions in Ankara (limited visibility due to foggy conditions) and was instructed to divert to Istanbul-Yeşilköy Airport. On approach to runway 24, the copilot informed the captain that one of the VASI's light was red and that their altitude was insufficient. The captain increased engine power but the aircraft continued to descent until it struck the ground eight meters short of the concrete runway. On impact, the left engine (n°1) was torn off and both left main gear and central gear were also torn off when the airplane struck the shoulder of the first runway's concrete block. The aircraft slid on its belly for few hundred meters, veered to the left and came to rest in flames in a grassy area. All 376 occupants were quickly evacuated, among them 10 were slightly injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Upon landing at Munich-Riem Airport, the nose gear collapsed. The airplane slid for several yards before coming to rest. None of the 36 occupants was injured while the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.

Middle East Airlines flight 265, a Vickers Viscount registered OD-ADE, was descending for Ankara-Esenboğa Airport, Turkey and had been cleared for an approach to runway 03. Last radio contact was at 13:09 hours GMT when the flight reported being over the Ankara NDB at 8000 feet, descending for 6500 feet. The crew would contact Ankara again over the NDB when inbound. Earlier in the day, at 11:22 GMT, a Douglas C-47 transport plane of the Turkish Air Force (CBK-28) had taken off from Ankara's Etimesgut Air Base for an instrument training flight in the southeast region of the Gölbasi beacon. The duration of the flight was planned for 1 hour 30 minutes . In this type of flight the student pilot is normally seated in the left-hand seat, an orange plexiglass panel is placed in front of him on the left half of the windshield, and he wears dark blue glasses. The instructor is in the right-hand seat and is able to maintain a lookout. The training manoeuvres had been completed, and the aircraft was returning to Etimesgut flying under visual flight rules by the time MEA flight 265 was descending for Esenboğa Airport. The Viscount, cruising on a heading of 283°, collided with the C-47 which was flying on a heading of 243° towards Etimesgut. The lower right-hand-side of the Viscount's nose and the starboard wing struck the C-47 from behind at a 40° angle in the door area on its port side. Propeller no. 3 also struck the C-47's left horizontal stabilizer, cutting it off. The blade ends broke off and remained with the tail unit of the C-47 near the base of the left horizontal stabilizer. The blade of propeller no. 4 cut the underside of the tip of the right horizontal stabilizer. Both aircraft flew together for a very short time then separated. The tail unit of the C-47 having been cut off, the C-47 fell vertically immediately thereafter. Prior to being cut off, the left horizontal stabilizer of the C-47 damaged the starboard side skin covering of the Viscount in the vicinity of the passenger cabin windows. This piece of skin covering broke off, and some of the passengers fell out through this hole. The Viscount flew a very short while following the separation of the two aircraft, then nosed down and fell. Both aircraft crashed into a residential area of Ankara, killing 87 people on the ground. 50 others were seriously injured.

Middle East Airlines flight 265, a Vickers Viscount registered OD-ADE, was descending for Ankara-Esenboğa Airport, Turkey and had been cleared for an approach to runway 03. Last radio contact was at 13:09 hours GMT when the flight reported being over the Ankara NDB at 8000 feet, descending for 6500 feet. The crew would contact Ankara again over the NDB when inbound. Earlier in the day, at 11:22 GMT, a Douglas C-47 transport plane of the Turkish Air Force (CBK-28) had taken off from Ankara's Etimesgut Air Base for an instrument training flight in the southeast region of the Gölbasi beacon. The duration of the flight was planned for 1 hour 30 minutes . In this type of flight the student pilot is normally seated in the left-hand seat, an orange plexiglass panel is placed in front of him on the left half of the windshield, and he wears dark blue glasses. The instructor is in the right-hand seat and is able to maintain a lookout. The training manoeuvres had been completed, and the aircraft was returning to Etimesgut flying under visual flight rules by the time MEA flight 265 was descending for Esenboğa Airport. The Viscount, cruising on a heading of 283°, collided with the C-47 which was flying on a heading of 243° towards Etimesgut. The lower right-hand-side of the Viscount's nose and the starboard wing struck the C-47 from behind at a 40° angle in the door area on its port side. Propeller no. 3 also struck the C-47's left horizontal stabilizer, cutting it off. The blade ends broke off and remained with the tail unit of the C-47 near the base of the left horizontal stabilizer. The blade of propeller no. 4 cut the underside of the tip of the right horizontal stabilizer. Both aircraft flew together for a very short time then separated. The tail unit of the C-47 having been cut off, the C-47 fell vertically immediately thereafter. Prior to being cut off, the left horizontal stabilizer of the C-47 damaged the starboard side skin covering of the Viscount in the vicinity of the passenger cabin windows. This piece of skin covering broke off, and some of the passengers fell out through this hole. The Viscount flew a very short while following the separation of the two aircraft, then nosed down and fell. Both aircraft crashed into a residential area of Ankara, killing 87 people on the ground. 50 others were seriously injured.

En route, the pilot reported passing Aksaray and estimated to arrive at Adana at 1740LT. At 1728 the pilot reported at FL175 and requested a clearance to approach. At 1740 the flight was cleared to 5,000 feet and was asked to report crossing 8,000 feet and 7,000 feet. Shortly later, at an altitude of 6,800 feet, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Medetsiz located 87 km north of Adana Airport. All 11 occupants were killed.