Crash of a Canadair C-4M Argonaut in Tripoli: 15 killed

Date & Time: Sep 22, 1955 at 0023 LT
Type of aircraft:
Canadair C-4 North Star
Operator:
Registration:
G-ALHL
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
London – Rome – Tripoli – Kano – Lagos
MSN:
158
YOM:
1949
Location:
Tripoli
Tripoli (طرابلس)
Country:
Libya
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
40
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
15
Circumstances:
On approach to Tripoli Airport by night and poor weather conditions, the crew was unable to locate the runway and decided to make a go around. Three times, the captain decided to abandon the approach procedure for a go around maneuver. During a fourth attempt, he descended below the glide when the aircraft hit trees and crashed 1,200 yards short of runway 11. Two crew members and 13 passengers were killed and the aircraft was destroyed. All other occupants were injured.
Probable cause:
The accident was the result of an error of judgement on the part of the captain who having made three unsuccessful attempts to line-up and land on runway 11 on his fourth attempt allowed his desire to keep the runway lights in view to affect his judgement, in that during a visual approach to the runway he failed to make adequate reference to his flight instruments. In the restricted visibility the runway lights gave him insufficient guidance as to attitude, height and angle of approach and unknowingly he permitted the aircraft to descend below its correct approach path.
Final Report:

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings C.1 into the Mediterranean Sea

Date & Time: Jul 22, 1953
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings
Operator:
Registration:
TG613
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Tripoli – Habbaniya
MSN:
91
YOM:
1949
Location:
Mediterranean Sea
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft was on its way to Habbaniya and departed Tripoli-Idris Airport with few passengers and a crew of six on board. About 90 minutes into the flight, three engines failed simultaneously. The pilot reduced his altitude and ditched the aircraft 224 km off Benghazi. All occupants were quickly rescued while the aircraft sank and was lost.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the triple engine failure was caused by an technical issue on the hydraulic system.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes IV near Atar: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 26, 1952 at 0845 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes
Operator:
Registration:
G-ALDN
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
London – Tripoli – Kano
MSN:
81/15
YOM:
1950
Flight number:
BA251
Location:
Atar
Adrar
Country:
Mauritania
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The aircraft took off on a scheduled service from Tripoli to Kano with a crew of eight and ten passengers. The weather forecast indicated fine weather en route and thunderstorms in the Kano area. Due to faulty use of the variation setting control on the Gyrosyn compass and the inability of the crew to determine the aircraft's position properly by the standard methods, the aircraft, with practically no fuel and over the desert, made a wheels-up landing in a wide depression littered with shifting sand-dunes surrounded by rocky escarpments. The port wing was torn off and the remainder of the aircraft slewed left and came to a standstill without breaking up. No fire resulted and all passengers and crew were evacuated without difficulty. Six were slightly injured but the copilot died five days later as a result of exhaustion brought about by strain and heat.
Probable cause:
Causes of the accident, in chronological order, are set out by the report as follows:
- Faulty use by the navigator of the variation setting control on the CL2 Gyrosyn compass,
- Faulty checking of compasses by incorrect astral bearing and without the aid of radio bearings,
- Incorrect inference drawn by the captain in pronouncing the CL2 Gyrosyn compass correct and the P.12 magnetic compass unserviceable,
- Fault on the part of the captain in not returning to Tripoli when the P.12 compass was regarded as unserviceable (in breach of BOAC regulations),
- Inability of the crew to realize that astro shots were being taken on the wrong stars,
- Inability of the crew to determine the aircraft's position properly by the standard methods when the VSC setting error was discovered,
- Lack of decisive action on the part of the captain once he knew he had lost his way,
- Ignorance, on the part of those on board, of the assistance which could have been afforded by Atar airfield.
Final Report:

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster GR.3 off Tripoli: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1951
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
RF306
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Luqa - Luqa
Location:
Tripoli
Tripoli (طرابلس)
Country:
Libya
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a maritime patrol flight over the Mediterranean Sea out from RAF Luqa. While flying at a very low height over the sea off the Libyan coast, the pilot realized the situation and decided to increase his altitude. While pulling on the control column, the base of the empennage hit the water surface, causing the aircraft to crash into the sea few miles off Tripoli. A crew member was killed while five others were rescued. The aircraft was lost.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings C1 in Benina: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1950
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings
Operator:
Registration:
TG574
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
El Adem – Tripoli
MSN:
65
YOM:
1949
Location:
Benghazi-Benina
Benghazi (بنغازي)
Country:
Libya
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
27
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
While cruising at the assigned altitude of 8,500 feet, a propeller blade on the engine number two separated and penetrated the fuselage, killing the copilot who was sitting in the crew room. The captain informed ground and decided to divert to Benina Airport. Few minutes later, the engine number two detached from its mount and hit the elevator, causing the aircraft to be difficult to control. On final approach to Benina, the aircraft was rolling left to right, stalled and crashed in flames upside down few dozen yards from the runway threshold. Five crew members, among them the captain, were killed, while 29 other occupants were evacuated, some of them slightly injured.
Probable cause:
Loss of a propeller blade and separation of the engine number two in flight.

Crash of a Lockheed C-60A-5-LO LodeStar in Tripoli: 8 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed C-60 LodeStar
Operator:
Transport Aérien Militaire (TAM)
Registration:
FC-AXM
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Government
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Antananarivo - Tripoli - Paris
MSN:
2163
YOM:
1942
Location:
Tripoli
Tripoli (طرابلس)
Country:
Libya
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The aircraft was on its way from Antananarivo to Paris with an intermediate stop in Tripoli. Shortly after take off, the twin engine aircraft christened 'Koufra' crashed in unknown circumstances, killing all eight occupants. The flight was conducted on behalf of the French Ministère de l'Air (Direction Technique et Industrielle).
Crew:
André Vercruysse, pilot,
Daniel Levesque, radio navigator,
Georges Deloustal, flight engineer.

Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.75 into the Mediterranean Sea: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 23, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Savoia-Marchetti SM.75
Operator:
Registration:
I-MAGA
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Tripoli – Sciacca
MSN:
32058
YOM:
1939
Location:
Mediterranean Sea
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Shot down over the Mediterranean Sea while performing an international schedule flight. All four crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.75 in Rome: 20 killed

Date & Time: May 19, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Savoia-Marchetti SM.75
Operator:
Registration:
I-MELE
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Rome – Trapani – Tripoli
MSN:
32052
YOM:
1939
Location:
Rome-Urbe
Lazio
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
20
Circumstances:
Shortly after take off, the three engine aircraft encountered problems to gain height, hit tree tops, stalled and crashed in flames. All 20 occupants were killed, among them Captain Rossaldi.

Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.75TP off Sicily

Date & Time: Mar 28, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Savoia-Marchetti SM.75
Operator:
Registration:
I-BURA
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Tripoli - Rome
MSN:
32040
YOM:
1939
Location:
Sicily
Sicily
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Tripoli to Rome, the three engine airplane was shot down and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Sicily. The occupant's fate remains unknown.
Probable cause:
Shot down.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV near Tripoli: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 29, 1942 at 1500 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
Z7271
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Luqa - Luqa
Location:
Tripoli
Tripoli (طرابلس)
Country:
Libya
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Luqa on an operation to Tripoli. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed east of the city. Two crew members were killed and a third became PoW.
Crew.
F/Lt Edwin Fox, pilot, †
P/O Robert Edwin Taylor, observer, †
Sgt Andrew Lorimer Pepper, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.
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