Crash of a Boeing 737-2P6 in Abu Dhabi: 112 killed

Date & Time: Sep 23, 1983 at 1530 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 737-200
Operator:
Registration:
A4O-BK
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Karachi – Abu Dhabi – Doha
MSN:
21734
YOM:
1979
Flight number:
GF771
Location:
Abu Dhabi-Al Bateen
Abu Dhabi (إمارة أبو ظبي‎)
Country:
United Arab Emirates
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
106
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
112
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Karachi, the aircraft was approaching Abu Dhabi-Al Bateen Airport in good weather conditions. On short final, the aircraft exploded and crashed shot of runway, bursting into flames. There were no survivors among the 112 occupants. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the accident was the consequence of a bomb that exploded in the cargo compartment. Nevertheless, an ATC controller who was working at Abu Dhabi-Al Bateen Airport at the time of the accident later reported the aircraft had been mistakenly shot down by a surface-to-air missile after UAE soldiers were performing exercises in the vicinity of Al Bateen International Airport.

Crash of a Boeing 707-340C near At Ta'if: 156 killed

Date & Time: Nov 26, 1979 at 0204 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 707
Operator:
Registration:
AP-AWZ
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Kano - Jeddah - Karachi
MSN:
20275/844
YOM:
1970
Flight number:
PK740
Location:
At Ta'if
Makkah l-Mukarramah (مكة المكرمة)
Country:
Saudi Arabia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
145
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
156
Aircraft flight hours:
30710
Circumstances:
The airplane was completing a schedule service from Kano to Karachi with an intermediate stop at Jeddah, carrying 145 passengers and a crew of 11. It departed Jeddah-King Abdulaziz Airport at 0129LT and continued to climb by night and good weather conditions. While cruising at an altitude of 37,000 feet, the captain informed ATC about an in-flight fire and was cleared to descent to 30,000 feet then 4,000 feet at his discretion. Seventeen minutes later, the situation on board became very critical with heavy smoke spreading in the cabin and the crew declared an emergency. While attempting an emergency landing in a desert area, the airplane struck the ground and disintegrated on impact. The wreckage was found about 48 km north of At Ta'if, in a rocky area. None of the 156 occupants survived the crash.
Probable cause:
An in-flight fire in the cabin area which, through its intensity and rapid extension, resulted in panic among the passengers and smoke in the cockpit, eventually incapacitating the flight crew. The cause of the cabin fire was not determined. It was considered that the origin of the cabin fire could have been a leaking gasoline or kerosene stove, carried aboard by Haj pilgrim passengers. Pressure differential could have caused a poorly sealed gasket to leak fuel. A second possibility is an electrical fire, but the rapid extension of the fire was considered difficult to explain because of the electrical circuit protection devices of the Boeing 707. Sabotage was considered as another possibility, but no evidence of use of an incendiary device was found.

Crash of a Boeing 707-340C in Ürümqi

Date & Time: Dec 15, 1971
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 707
Operator:
Registration:
AP-AVZ
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Karachi - Ürümqi
MSN:
20487/847
YOM:
1971
Location:
Ürümqi-Diwopu
Xinjiang Uyghur
Country:
China
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The descent to Ürümqi-Diwopu Airport was initiated in poor weather conditions due to snow falls. On final, the crew was too high on the glide, causing the plane to land too far down the runway. After touchdown, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and came to rest few dozen yards farther. All five crew members were slightly injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration on part of the crew who attempted to land while the aircraft was too high on the glide. As the approach configuration was non compliant, the crew should initiate a go-around manoeuvre.

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 200 near Saindak: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1971
Type of aircraft:
Fokker F27 Friendship
Operator:
Registration:
AP-ALX
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Karachi - Zahedan
MSN:
10188
YOM:
1961
Location:
Saindak
Baluchestan (بلوچستان)
Country:
Pakistan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Aircraft flight hours:
22287
Aircraft flight cycles:
26177
Circumstances:
While descending to Zahedan Airport in limited visibility on a cargo flight from Karachi, the airplane struck a mountain and crashed near Saindak, at the Iran-Pakistan border. The aircraft was destroyed and all four crew members were killed. Controlled flight into terrain suspected.

Crash of a Martin PBM-5A Mariner in Dabolim: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jun 10, 1959 at 1030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Martin PBM Mariner
Operator:
Registration:
16-306
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Biak - Negombo - Karachi
Location:
Dabolim
Goa
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The aircraft was on its way back to The Netherlands for maintenance purposes. En route from Negombo to Karachi, the crew encountered technical problems and elected to divert to Dabolim Airport for an emergency landing. While on approach at a height of 300 meters, the airplane went out of control and crashed in Vasco da Gama, near runway 26 threshold. Four crew members were seriously injured while four others were killed. A day later, all four survivors died from their injuries.
Crew:
Lt P. A. M. Landsdaal,
Lt M. J. A. Baarspul,
Lt J. Quispel,
Sgt A. Dijkema,
Cpl L. Bemer,
Sgt C. N. Gabeler,
Sgt C. Koster,
Sgt S. Bruin.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-15-DK in Jamshedpur: 13 killed

Date & Time: Oct 22, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
AP-AAZ
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Karachi – Dhaka
MSN:
12670
YOM:
1944
Location:
Jamshedpur
Jharkhand
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
13
Circumstances:
The airplane suffered technical problems in flight and while trying to make an emergency landing, the crew lost control of the airplane that crashed in a field located in Jamshedpur. All 13 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Douglas DC-4-1009 off Bahrain: 40 killed

Date & Time: Jun 15, 1950 at 0153 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-4
Operator:
Registration:
F-BBDM
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Saigon – Karachi – Bahrain – Paris
MSN:
42990
YOM:
1946
Location:
Bahrain
All Bahrain
Country:
Bahrain
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
45
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
40
Captain / Total flying hours:
10550
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2100
Aircraft flight hours:
8705
Circumstances:
The approach to Bahrain was completed by night. On final approach, the aircraft christened 'Ciel de Gascogne' hit the water surface and crashed into the Persian Gulf, few hundred yards from the runway 29 threshold. First rescuers arrived on site about four hours later. Three crew members and ten passengers were rescued while 40 other occupants were killed.
Crew:
Robert Plamont, pilot, †
Mr. Cartier, copilot,
Mr. Thibaud, radio officer,
Lucien Duval, radio officer, †
Mr Franco, mechanic,
Mr. Gourhaut, steward,
Roland Rimbol, steward, †
Mrs. Hervé, stewardess.
Probable cause:
Failure of the pilot in command to adopt the timed approach procedure to the prevailing conditions. Having descended to 300 feet, the pilot in command did not take the appropriate measures to maintain this altitude until such time as the runway lights became visible. At the time of the accident, the airport of Bahrain was not equipped radio landing aids and suitable runway approach lights, which was considered as a contributory factors.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-4-1009 off Bahrain: 46 killed

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1950 at 0116 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-4
Operator:
Registration:
F-BBDE
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Saigon – Karachi – Bahrain – Paris
MSN:
42937
YOM:
1946
Location:
Bahrain
All Bahrain
Country:
Bahrain
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
44
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
46
Captain / Total flying hours:
19500
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2750
Aircraft flight hours:
8128
Circumstances:
The approach to Bahrain was completed by night and limited visibility (1,370 meters). About 5,200 meters short of runway 29 threshold, the aircraft christened 'Ciel de Picardie' hit the water surface and sank by 12 feet in the Persian Gulf. First rescuers arrived on site about eight hours later. Two crew members, the captain and the radio officer, and four passengers, were rescued while 46 other occupants were killed.
Crew:
J. Sladek, pilot,
Raoul Saury, copilot, †
Yvan Moulis, radio navigator, †
M. Collard, radio officer,
Jacques Michel, mechanic, †
Nicole Combaret, stewardess, †
Roger Bertru, steward, †
Roland Bequet, steward. †
Probable cause:
The pilot in command did not keep an accurate check of his altitude and rate of descent during the timed approach procedure, thus allowing his aircraft to fly into the surface of the sea. The possibility that the pilot-in-command was feeling the effects of fatigue cannot be ruled out. At the time of the accident, the airport of Bahrain was not equipped radio landing aids and suitable runway approach lights, which was considered as a contributory factors.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-53 in Jungshahi: 26 killed

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1949 at 2150 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
AP-ADI
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Lahore – Karachi
MSN:
4841
YOM:
1941
Location:
Jungshahi
Sindh (سنڌ سندھ)
Country:
Pakistan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
22
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
26
Circumstances:
The crew just started the descent by night to Karachi when the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain (1,185 feet high) located about 80 km east of Karachi-Mauripur Airport, near the village of Jungshahi. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 26 occupants were killed. Two days after the tragedy, the Operator's AOC was suspended for an undetermined period of time.
Probable cause:
An error of navigation on the part of the pilot in that the aircraft was not as near to Karachi Airport as he reported it to be in his last "position report", which, had it been correct, would have placed the aircraft past the last range of hills. It is apparent, however, that the pilot continued to descend further after having reported last at 2,500 feet at 2147LT in contravention of the 'standard letdown procedure at Karachi Airport' which he was practicing. The lack of visibility caused by night was considered as a contributory factor.
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