Crash of a Vickers 773 Viscount in Cairo

Date & Time: Mar 19, 1965
Type of aircraft:
Vickers Viscount
Operator:
Registration:
YI-ACU
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Baghdad – Cairo
MSN:
331
YOM:
1957
Location:
Cairo-Intl
Cairo
Country:
Egypt
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Baghdad, the crew started the approach to Cairo-Intl Airport when he encountered difficulties to lower the gear which failed to be locked. Several attempts were made to obtain the three green lights on the panel. Following a normal touchdown, the captain completed the braking procedure and while approaching the end of the runway, started a turn to the right to vacate via the taxiway when the nose-wheel steering failed as well as the braking systems. Out of control, the airplane veered off runway, struck several approach lights and came to rest. All occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Loss of hydraulic fluid from the main reservoir due to a burst pipe causing the nose-wheel steering system and the braking systems to fail.

Ground accident of a Percival P.66 Pembroke C.1 in Baghdad

Date & Time: Sep 6, 1957
Type of aircraft:
Percival P.66 Pembroke
Operator:
Registration:
WV699
Flight Phase:
Taxiing
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
0002
YOM:
1955
Location:
Baghdad
Baghdād (بغداد)
Country:
Iraq
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Habbaniya, the crew completed the approach and landing at Baghdad Airport and vacated the runway to join the apron. While on a taxiway, the undercarriage were mistakenly retracted by a crew member and the airplane sank on its belly. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Error on part of a crew member who mistakenly retracted the undercarriage during taxi.

Crash of a Vickers 644 Viking 1B in Baghdad

Date & Time: Oct 10, 1955
Type of aircraft:
Vickers Viking
Operator:
Registration:
YI-ABQ
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
231
YOM:
1947
Location:
Baghdad
Baghdād (بغداد)
Country:
Iraq
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
As an unexpected situation occurred during the takeoff run, the pilot-in-command decided to abandon the takeoff procedure and started an emergency braking maneuver. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the twin engine aircraft overran and came to rest in flames into a ravine. All 19 occupants were quickly evacuated while the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Vickers 607 Valetta C.1 on Mt Jebel al Lawz: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 2, 1954
Type of aircraft:
Vickers Valetta
Operator:
Registration:
VW205
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Baghdad – Cairo
MSN:
361
YOM:
1949
Location:
Mt Jebel al Lawz
Tabuk (تبوك‎)
Country:
Saudi Arabia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
While cruising by night at an altitude of 8,000 feet, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Jebel al Lawz located about 50 km east of the Gulf of Aqaba. The wreckage was located few days later and all three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt K. W. Brimley,
F/O B. Sherburn,
Sgt T. O. Powell.
Probable cause:
It appears that the aircraft deviated from the prescribed flight plan by 88 km to the south due to strong winds blowing from the north. Due to the low visibility caused by night, the crew did not realize he was off track and failed to distinguish the mountain.

Crash of a SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc near Tehran: 22 killed

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1951
Type of aircraft:
SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc
Operator:
Registration:
SU-AHH
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Cairo – Baghdad – Tehran
MSN:
41
YOM:
1948
Location:
Tehran-Mehrabad
Tehran City District
Country:
Iran
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
22
Circumstances:
While descending to Tehran-Mehrabad Airport, the crew was informed by ATC that a landing was not possible due to low visibility caused by snow falls and was vectored to follow a holding pattern. After completing two circuits, the crew started a second approach when the four engine aircraft crashed about 10 km west of the airport. All 22 occupants were killed. The assumption of a loss of control caused by a fuel exhaustion is not ruled out.

Crash of a Vickers 644 Viking 1B in Baghdad

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1949
Type of aircraft:
Vickers Viking
Operator:
Registration:
YI-ABR
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
232
YOM:
1947
Location:
Baghdad
Baghdād (بغداد)
Country:
Iraq
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Belly landed for unknown reason. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I in Baghdad

Date & Time: Aug 26, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Airspeed AS.10 Oxford
Operator:
Registration:
L4650
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Habbaniyah – Baghdad
MSN:
117
YOM:
1938
Location:
Baghdad
Baghdād (بغداد)
Country:
Iraq
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Upon touchdown at Baghdad Airport, the right main gear collapsed. The airplane slid on runway for few dozen metres before coming to rest. Both crew members were uninjured.
Probable cause:
The right main gear collapsed because it failed to lockdown.

Crash of a Douglas DC-2-115E in Bushehr

Date & Time: Jul 17, 1935 at 1630 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-2
Operator:
Registration:
PH-AKM
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Batavia – Jodhpur – Bushehr - Baghdad – Amsterdam
MSN:
1359
YOM:
1935
Location:
Bushehr
Bushehr
Country:
Iran
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll at Bushehr Airport, after a distance of some 300 metres and running at a speed of 120 km/h, the aircraft named 'Maraboe' hit an unevenness on the runway surface. The right main gear broke off and a fuel line was cut. The aircraft went out of control, swerved on runway and eventually came to rest, bursting into flames. All 11 occupants evacuated safely and the airplane was destroyed by fire.
Probable cause:
Undercarriage failure upon takeoff following an impact with an unevenness on the runway surface.

Crash of a Douglas DC-2-115A in Ruţbah Wells: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1934 at 0333 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-2
Operator:
Registration:
PH-AJU
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Amsterdam – Marseille – Rome – Athens – Cairo – Baghdad – Karachi – Yangon – Singapore – Batavia
MSN:
1317
YOM:
1934
Location:
Ruţbah Wells (Ar Ruţbah)
Al-Anbar (الأنبار)
Country:
Iraq
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Aircraft flight hours:
284
Circumstances:
The crew departed Cairo-Almaza Airport at 2330LT bound for Baghdad. While overflying the Iraqi Desert at night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and decided to divert to Ruţbah Wells. On approach, the aircraft was at full power when it impacted the ground in a 17° right bank angle and 12° nose down attitude. The aircraft crashed and exploded some 16 km from the Ruţbah Wells Airfield. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all seven occupants were killed.
Crew:
Wilhelm Marie Okko Anne Beekman, pilot,
Jan Johannes van Steenbergen, copilot,
Hendrik Abraham Waalewijn, engineer,
Gysbert van Zadelhoff, radio navigator.
Passengers:
Dominique Willem Berretty,
E. W. Walch,
Jacob Thymen Kort.
Probable cause:
The cause of the accident is probably not related to a fire, in-flight break-up or lightning, nor related to failures of a technical nature. It is very likely that the very unfavorable weather conditions along with less favorable handling characteristics of the airplane in severe turbulence and fatigue of the pilot have resulted in a collision with the ground, which caused the catastrophe.
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