Baghdad

Site:

MSN:

5098

YOM:

1987

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The four engine aircraft departed Baghdad Airport on a support mission, carrying 32 passengers and a crew of six. Sixty seconds after takeoff, while climbing to a height of 313 feet and at a speed of 163 knots, the airplane's defensive system activated. The pilot reacted in accordance with applicable directives and after reacting to the defensive alert, the crew realized that all three engines n°1, 3 and 4 lost 60% of power. The crew attempted an emergency landing in an open field located 7,5 km north of the airport. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and all 38 occupants escaped uninjured. U.S. Air Force Maintenance and Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel from the 447th Air Expeditionary Group were called in. They placed explosive charges on the plane and blew up the Hercules on July 7.

Probable cause:

The Board President could not find clear and convincing evidence to determine the exact cause of the engine power loss. He did find evidence to conclude that several factors combined to significantly contribute to the Mishap Airplane (MA) landing partially gear down. Specifically, a defensive system alert, the aircraft's low altitude and airspeed at the time of the malfunction, and the decision to respond to the alert at low altitude and airspeed combined to result in the MA landing partially gear down. All MA systems and performance were normal prior to the defensive system alert. An undetermined malfunction occurred during the defensive reaction that caused three of the MA's four engines to stabilize at an RPM (60%) which was not sufficient to maintain flight and the low altitude and airspeed at the time of the malfunction limited the time available for situation analysis and recovery. The Mishap Crew (MC) had never been exposed to a loss of three or four engines on takeoff in the C-130H2 simulator which resulted in an emergency situation the MC had not seen before at a low altitude and airspeed. Checklist actions taken by the MC did not recover the engines and the Mishap Pilot (MP) appropriately performed a limited power, controlled descent, and forced landing resulting in only minor injuries.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24B at Talil AFB

Date & Time: Mar 23, 2006

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-24

Operator:

Registration:

ER-AZZ

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Baghdad - Talil AFB

MSN:

7 99 011 10

YOM:

1967

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On approach to Talil AFB, the crew was forced to shut down one of the engines due to the failure of the engine control system. As the nose gear could not be lowered, the crew initiated a go-around. As the main gears could not be retracted, the captain decided to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in an unpaved area of the airfield and came to rest. All occupants escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130K Hercules near Baghdad: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jan 30, 2005 at 1630 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed C-130 Hercules

Operator:

Registration:

XV179

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Baghdad - Balad

MSN:

4195

YOM:

1967

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

24200

Circumstances:

The aircraft was performing, according to the RAF, an administrative flight from Baghdad to Balad, an Air Base located 65 km northwest of Baghdad. While climbing, the aircraft was hit by enemy fire and crashed near Al Taji, about 30 km northwest of Baghdad. The aircraft was destroyed and all 10 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The Board concluded that XV179 crashed because the ac became uncontrollable after hostile action caused the explosive separation of the outboard 23 feet of the right-hand wing. Furthermore the Board conclude that the explosive separation could have been caused solely by [blanked out] or a combination of [blanked out] and another [blanked out] impacting the wing in the vicinity of the separation boundary.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- Flying at low level and in daylight made the ac vulnerable to [blanked out],
- The lack of any fire retarding technology, either foam or inert gas, in the fuel tanks allowed an explosive fuel/air mix to develop in the ullage,
- The ACHQ did not have sight of Op [blanked out] tasking and this reduced their ability to provide relevant intelligence support,
- The SAFIRE reporting, collating and dissemination chain was not efficient enough to provide aircrew with the time-sensitive intelligence they need,
- The lack of a procedure to pass up-to-the-minute and relevant threat information to the C-130 left crew unaware of the recent SAFIRE site between BIAP and BSE.

Crash of a Boeing 737-270C in Arar: 63 killed

Date & Time: Dec 25, 1986 at 1230 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 737-200

Operator:

Registration:

YI-AGJ

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Al Ḥudūd aš Šamālīya (منطقة الحدود الشمالية‎)

Schedule:

Baghdad - Amman

MSN:

21183

YOM:

1976

Flight number:

IA163

Location:

Arar

Country:

Saudi Arabia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

About 50 minutes into the flight, while cruising at an altitude of 26,000 in the Saudi Arabian airspace, four hijackers went into the cockpit and forced the crew to divert to Tehran. In a certain confusion, a first grenade exploded in the cabin and the crew elected to divert to Arar for an emergency landing when a second grenade exploded in the cockpit. On final approach, out of control, the airplane crashed 800 meters short of runway, bursting into flames. 43 occupants were injured while 63 others were killed. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Crashed on final after being hijacked.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-76T near Baghdad: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 23, 1980

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-76

Operator:

Registration:

YI-AIO

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Paris - Baghdad

MSN:

00734 10315

YOM:

1987

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful cargo flight from Paris-Orly Airport, the crew started the descent to Baghdad Airport when the airplane was shot down by the pilot of an Iranian Air Force Grumman F-14 Tomcat fighter. Out of control, the airplane crashed in a huge explosion, killing all 4 occupants.

Probable cause:

Shot down by an Iranian Grumman F-14 Tomcat fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 735 Viscount in Mosul

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1973

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Viscount

Operator:

Registration:

YI-ACL

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Baghdad - Mosul

MSN:

YOM:

1955

Location:

Mosul

Nīnawā (Nineveh) (نينوى)

Country:

Iraq

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

24498

Aircraft flight cycles:

14649

Circumstances:

While descending to Mosul, the crew encountered technical problems with the fuel supply system and declared an emergency. In a certain confusion, the pilots did not follow the approach checklist and failed to lower the undercarriage. The airplane landed on its belly and slid for dozen meters before coming to rest. While all 33 occupants were evacuated safely, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Improper operation of the fuel system followed by failure to extend the undercarriage.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14M in Jeddah

Date & Time: Jul 22, 1971

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-14

Operator:

Iraqi Government

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Government

Site:

Makkah l-Mukarramah (مكة المكرمة)

Schedule:

Baghdad – Jeddah – Khartoum

Location:

Jeddah

Country:

Saudi Arabia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft (exact type unknown, maybe an II-14M) was completing a special flight from Baghdad to Khartoum with an intermediate stop in Jeddah, carrying officials from the Iraqi Government. On approach, the engines failed, maybe following a fuel exhaustion. The crew apparently attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crashed in a desert area located 5 km short of runway. The number of fatalities/injuries remains unknown and no information were provided by the Saudi and Iraqi Authorities. It seems that the following people were on board and that several fatalities have been reported:
- Mohammed Suleiman, Bath Party,
- Salah Saleh, Iraqi Army,
- Hammoudi el-Izzawi, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Crash of an aircraft in Baghdad: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1968

Type of aircraft:

Unknown

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach to Baghdad Airport, the aircraft struck a building and crashed, killing both crew members.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.104 Dove 1 in Basra: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1966

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.104 Dove

Operator:

Registration:

392

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Government

Survivors:

Site: