Crash of a Percival P.66 Pembroke C.1 near El Adem

Date & Time: May 28, 1957
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
XK859
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
0071
YOM:
1956
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Ran out of fuel, forcing the crew to attempt an emergency landing. Crash landed on a road located 16 km northwest of El Adem Airport. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair and abandoned in situ.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide near Benghazi

Date & Time: May 27, 1957
Registration:
G-AKTZ
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
MSN:
6482
YOM:
1948
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Upon landing in a desert area in Benghazi, a tire burst. The airplane came to rest and was damaged beyond repair. All four occupants escaped uninjured.
Probable cause:
Tire burst on landing.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide in Gerdes El Abid

Date & Time: Jul 22, 1956
Registration:
G-AESR
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Gerdes El Abid – Benghazi
MSN:
6363
YOM:
1937
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Went out of control and crashed while taking off from Gerdes El Abid. The aircraft was written off while all seven occupants were rescued and evacuated. It is believed that the airplane hit soft sand while departing.

Crash of an Avro 685 York C.1 in Idris

Date & Time: Apr 22, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
G-AGNS
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1220
YOM:
1945
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Suffered a ground accident at Idris Airport prior to takeoff. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

Crash of a Grumman SA-16A Albatross at Wheelus AFB

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1956
Operator:
Registration:
51-039
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
MSN:
G-114
YOM:
1952
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Just after liftoff, stalled and crashed 400 meters from the airfield. Crew fate remains unknown.

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

Date & Time: Sep 22, 1955 at 0023 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
G-ALHL
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
London – Rome – Tripoli – Kano – Lagos
MSN:
158
YOM:
1949
Country:
Region:
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 Douglas C-47D off Sirte

Date & Time: Nov 26, 1953
Operator:
Registration:
43-16353
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
20819
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew encountered an unexpected situation and decided to abandon the aircraft that crashed into the Mediterranean sea about 24 km northeast of Sirte. There were no casualties but the aircraft sank and was lost.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119C-22-FA Flying Boxcar near Gharyan

Date & Time: Aug 9, 1953
Operator:
Registration:
51-2542
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Udine – Tripoli
MSN:
10500
YOM:
1950
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a flight from Udine to Wheelus AFB in Tripoli (today Mitiga). For unknown reason, the airplane continued to the south and following a fuel exhaustion, all 24 occupants decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that dove into the ground and crashed in a desert area located about 48 km south of Gharyan. All 24 occupants were rescued while the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Aircraft abandoned following a fuel exhaustion.

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

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1951
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RF306
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Luqa - Luqa
Country:
Region:
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
Operator:
Registration:
TG574
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
El Adem – Tripoli
MSN:
65
YOM:
1949
Country:
Region:
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.