Beirut

While parked at Rome-Fiumicino-Leonardo da Vinci Airport and ready for departure, the aircraft was attacked by six members from a Palestinian terrorist group. Shots burst with police forces and several grenades detonated, causing the aircraft to catch fire. 15 occupants were seriously injured while 129 others were unhurt. Unfortunately, 33 passengers were killed during this terrorist attack.

During the takeoff roll at Amman Airport, at a speed of 265 km/h, the crew started the rotation when the captain noticed a possible problem with an engine. The decision to abort the takeoff procedure was taken but the remaining distance was about 500 meters. Unable to stop within the end of the runway, the airplane overran, went down a ravine and eventually collided with a building located 290 meters further. Both pilots and seven people in the building were killed while few others were injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The decision to abort takeoff was taken after V1 speed fixed at 252 km/h.

The aircraft was to perform a non-scheduled international cargo flight from Cairo to Beirut. Before departure the operator's chief of the ground operations shift informed the pilot-in-command of the aircraft that bad weather was prevailing both on the route Cairo to Beirut and at Beirut Airport, and that the weather conditions had been confirmed by the crew of another aircraft who had arrived from Beirut at 0200 hours local time. The pilot-in-command then went to the weather office and was again informed that the weather en route was very bad with low and medium altitude clouds, including some cumulonimbus extending from 550 m to 8 500 m, and that moderate to severe icing and turbulence within these clouds were highly probable. He was also informed that a SIGMET had been issued at 0115 hours (see 1.7 below). Back at the operator's ground operations office he obtained once more all necessary weather information, including copies of two SIGMETS issued by Cairo and Beirut respectively and decided to delay his departure until 0700 hours expecting some weather improvement. Although the aircraft had no de-icing equipment, it departed Cairo at 0721 hours and at 0735 hours the crew reported at EL 70 to Cairo Approach. Eight minutes later they reported over Zif ta Beacon at the same flight level and were then instructed by Cairo Approach to contact Area Control. At 0745 hours they contacted and informed Cairo Control that they would return to Cairo due to icing. Shortly thereafter they repeated that message adding that there was some ice accretion on the aircraft. This was the last message from the aircraft. At 1020 hours Cairo ACC received a message that the aircraft had crashed 5 km SE of A1 Mahalla-Al Kobra. All four occupants were killed.

Following an uneventful flight from Lagos via Kano, the crew started the approach to Beirut in poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls, turbulences and wind gusting to 45 knots. On short final, the airplane was unstable and landed nose gear first. On impact, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane slid for several yards before coming to rest in flames. All 49 occupants were rescued, 10 of them were injured. The aircraft was partially consumed by fire.

Flight KU32 was a scheduled international flight from Beirut, Lebanon to Kuwait. It departed Beirut at 1855 hours GMT and apart from a tendency for the autopilot pitch lock to disconnect the flight to the descent point was uneventful. The aircraft was cleared to commence descent at 2028 hours GMT from flight level 300 to flight level 95 by the DY NDB - the pilot-in-command decided to carry out a visual approach and advised the co-pilot accordingly. The aircraft reached flight level 95 some three minutes before reaching the DY NDB and it maintained this level until passing the beacon at about 2039 hours GMT at which time it was cleared to descend to 3 000 ft it being agreed the aircraft would report on left base for runway 33R. By visual navigation and ADF indications from the MG NDB the aircraft was positioned on a left hand base leg for runway 33R passing abeam the MG NDB 1 - 2 miles to the south. The rate of descent was 1500 ft/min with the outboard engines at idle and 10 400 rpm on the centre engine. At about this time and when at flight level 50 the flight reported the field in sight - the pilot-in-command and flight engineer having sighted the airport rotating beacon and the co-pilot the rotating beacon and some airport lights - and the aircraft was cleared for final. A left turn on to final was cow menced at about 4 000 ft and the flight reported its position as 6 miles from the airport when at 2 300 ft. Rate of descent was 1 500 ft/min and airspeed was 178 kt. During all these manoeuvres the aircraft was being flown on the autopilot and the co-pilot had been requested to set 1 500 ft in the "acquire height" box of the autopilot. The ADF was tuned to the KWS locator which is 2 224 m from the runway threshold, and the co-pilot was occupied with the landing checks. At this stage of the flight the aircraft was at 1 830 ft almost abeam of the MG NDB inbound and 80 seconds from impact with the ground. Desired approach speed was 154 kt with a descent rate of 700 ft/min and a threshold speed of 134 kt. The aircraft struck the ground and crashed approximately 4 km short of the runway threshold, slightly to the left of the centreline at an elevation of approximately 185 ft. (Latitude 29013'25"N, Longitude 47058'05"E). The accident occurred at approximately 2046 hours GMT at night.

While cruising in marginal weather conditions on a cargo flight from Beirut to Frankfurt, the four engine aircraft disappeared from radar screens after it struck the slope of Mt Parnon located in the Peloponnese province, at the border between Laconia and Arcadia districts. The wreckage was found about 27 km east of Sparta. All five crew members were killed.

The aircraft christened 'Kanchenjunga' was on a flight from Bombay to New York with intermediate stops in New Delhi, Beirut, Geneva, Paris and London, carrying 106 passengers and 11 crew members. The airplane departed Beirut with one VOR inoperative and while approaching Geneva at an altitude of 15,000 feet, the crew contacted ATC and requested the permission to perform a 'VMC on top' descent, about 1,000 feet above the cloud layer. Twenty minutes before its ETA at Geneva-Cointrin Airport, the four engine aircraft struck the Mont Blanc at an altitude of 4,677 meters. The airplane disintegrated on impact and debris scattered in deep snow near the 'Rocher de la Tournette'. Among the victims were Giani Bertoli, Director of Air India for Europe and the Indian Atomist Homi Bhabba who was travelling to Geneva for a conference, accompanied with 20 monkeys. At the time of the accident, the airplane should be at an altitude of 17,500 feet but the crew failed to follow this procedure, probably following misunderstanding with ATC.

Following an uneventful flight from Beirut, the aircraft was taxiing to the parking when part of the taxiway collapsed, causing the airplane to strike the taxiway surface. This resulted in serious damage to the fuselage, propellers and engines. There were no injuries but the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.

Flight ME 444 departed Beirut (BEY) at 17:09 UTC and climbed to its cruising altitude of FL300. At 19:04 the aircraft reported to Bahrain Control that it was estimating Dhahran (DHA) at 19:28, and was cleared to descend to reach FL50 over the Dhahran beacon. At 19:06 weather information was reported to flight 444, which read a NNE/10 knots wind, gusting to 16, and 0,5nm visibility (in a sandstorm). At 19:26 the pilot reported estimating the Dhahran NDB in two minutes. At 19:28 it contacted Dhahran and reported "5 000 feet descending" and was cleared for an ADF approach. The controller requested the crew to report at 4000 feet and outbound at 2000 feet. One minute later it reported leaving 4000 feet and at 19:30 passing 2500 feet and turning inbound. It was then cleared to final approach and requested to report reaching minimum and runway in sight. At approximately 19:32 a short loud transmission noise was recorded by the Tower. No further message was received from the flight. It was subsequently found that the aircraft struck the sea at the completion of the procedure turn 4 NM off shore and 10 NM south of Dhahran Airport. The investigation team concluded that there was no mechanical failure that could have caused the accident. Several theories were investigated, a.o. erroneous radio altimeter indications as a result of the sandstorm (these effects have been proven in tests done by Air France), but the team was not able to prove any of those theories.

Following an uneventful flight from Cairo, the crew started the approach to Beirut Airport in heavy rain falls and strong cross winds. On short final, during the last segment, the airplane was suddenly caught by a downdraft, lost height and struck the runway surface. It bounced and climbed to a height of 30 feet before descending and striking the runway again. Upon impact, the right main gear was sheared off, causing the propellers of both engines number three and four to struck the ground as well. Out of control, the airplane veered off runway and came to rest. While all 53 occupants were evacuated safely, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.