Sudan

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Schedule:

London – Cairo – Khartoum

MSN:

12904

YOM:

1955

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Cairo to Khartoum at an altitude of 20,500 feet, a loss of hydraulic pressure occurred. The crew continued the flight and started the descent to Khartoum. While completing the approach checklist, the crew was unable to lower the landing gear, even with the emergency systems. The captain decided to complete a belly landing on the sandy area alongside the runway. The airplane slid for hundreds yards before coming to rest. All 27 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the failure of the support member for the starboard main gear uplock caused the gear to fall in flight, damaging hydraulic system lines.

Crash of a Douglas DC-4-1009 near Tora Tonga: 12 killed

Date & Time: May 15, 1960 at 2257 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-4

Operator:

Registration:

HB-ILA

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Geneva – Dakar – Niamey – Khartoum – Mecca

MSN:

43072

YOM:

1946

Location:

Tora Tonga

South Darfur (جنوب دارفور)

Country:

Sudan

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was completing a positioning flight from Geneva to Mecca with intermediate stop at Dakar, Niamey and Khartoum, carrying a crew of ten and two Swiss journalists. While overflying Sudan by night at an altitude of 8,000 feet, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located in the Djebel Marra. The wreckage was located few hours later. The airplane was destroyed and all 12 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the accident was the consequence of the combination of the following factors:
- The fact that the aircraft progressed actually at an average ground speed of at least 200-205 knots while the crew believed they were proceeding with no more than 175-178 knots as estimated before takeoff,
- That a slight directional difference of 2 or 3 degrees may have existed between the calculated track and the actual flight path,
- That these two navigation inaccuracies could build up during a flight of 2,5 hours and could eventually result in a position error of about 70 NM to the west and about 30 NM to the south,
- That for reasons unknown to the Board the position report given for 1906Z and apparently established on the base of an astronomical fix must have been inaccurate and that the crew were, therefore, not able to be conscious of the discrepancies between the dead-reckoning and their actual position,
- That the aircraft flying at 8000 feet hit a slope of the Djebel Marra mountains four minutes before the crew expected to be overhead the El Fasher beacon where they would have begun the climb to 12000 feet and when, in their belief the aircraft should have been still more than 60 NM away from these mountains.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings C.1 in Khartoum: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 29, 1959

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings

Operator:

Registration:

TG522

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lockheed L-749 Constellation

Schedule:

Khartoum – Cairo – London

MSN:

YOM:

1948

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was on its way from Khartoum to London with an intermediate stop at Cairo, carrying a crew of five and 25 passengers on behalf of the 36th Squadron. After takeoff from Khartoum Airport, while climbing, the pilot informed ground that the engine number two failed and received the permission to return for a safe landing. The captain made a turn to the left to join the approach path when the airplane rolled left and right and eventually banked left. In such conditions, the captain decided to shut down the engine number one he thought that was malfunctioning. While trying to maintain a stable attitude, he lost control of the airplane that stalled and crashed. On impact, the undercarriage and all four engines were sheared off and the aircraft skidded for several yards before coming to rest. While all 25 passengers were injured, all five crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

Investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the failure of the engine number two. Technical analysis on engine number one did not reveal any issues so the decision of the pilot to shut it down was unfounded.

Crash of a Lockheed L-749 Constellation near Khartoum

Date & Time: Jul 10, 1957 at 0920 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

ET-T-35

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Desert

Schedule:

London – Athens – Khartoum – Addis Ababa

MSN:

2608

YOM:

1949

Flight number:

ET003

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft left Khartoum International Aerodrome at 0555 hours GMT on 10 July carrying a crew of 6 and 14 passengers and was cleared to cruise at 17 500 feet. At 0610 hours, at about 10 500 feet altitude, the number two engine fire warning light for zones 2 and 3 came on and the warning bell rang. The engine was feathered. The CO2 bottle was released and concurrently an explosion followed by a violent fire, made it necessary (at approximately 0620) to land the aircraft with gear up on a large flat cultivated area. There were no injuries to passengers or crew, but the aircraft was almost totally destroyed by fire which continued burning on the ground.

Probable cause:

This accident was due to the overheating of one of the brakes of the main landing gear during the aircraft's taxiing and take-off run. It was caused by a dragging brake and a leakage of hydraulic oil with resultant fire and tire blow out. The tire blow out resulted in damage to hydraulic oil and fuel lines within the confined area of No. 2 engine nacelle, between the rear of the engine fire wall and rear spar, and between the fuselage and left side of the landing gear wheel well doors.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 near Wadi Halfa: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 11, 1952

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

VT-CGB

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Positioning

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

MSN:

9945

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a positioning flight to Khartoum to meet the Sudanese people who chartered the plane to complete a pilgrim flight from Aden to Djeddah. As the airplane failed to arrive in Khartoum, SAR operations were conducted and the wreckage was found nine days later, on September 20, on the slope of a mountain located about 80 km southeast of Wadi Halfa. The aircraft was destroyed and all three crew members have been killed.

Probable cause:

According to the Sudanese Authorities, the accident was caused by a faulty navigation on part of the crew due to poor communication between the crew and the ATC and a lack of navigation aids in the area.

Crash of a Douglas DC-2-115B in Kosti: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1952 at 2105 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-2

Operator:

Phoenix Airlines

Registration:

ZS-DFW

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

White Nile (النيل الأبيض)

Schedule:

Johannesburg – Bulawayo – Lusaka – Tabora – Juba – Wadi Halfa – Khartoum – Cairo – Southend

MSN:

1322

YOM:

1934

Location:

Kosti

Country:

Sudan

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft took off on a cargo flight from Rand Airport in Jo'burg to Southend, England, with a crew of four, two passengers and a load of Karakul pelts. The passengers left the aircraft at Bulawayo, deciding not to complete their journey. The aircraft started in company with another of the same operator which also crashed en route. On attempting a diversion landing at Kosti at night without suitable ground aids, the aircraft ran off the runway and collided with a steel support for a windsock and afterwards with trees causing major damage. Two crew were killed and two were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

The primary cause of the accident was that extremely bad weather forced the Captain of the airplane to divert from his original destination. No proper preparation had been made for a possible landing at an alternate airfield prior to commencement of flight. The secondary cause was due to the Captain's attempt to execute a landing at Kosti aerodrome which was not equipped with night landing facilities. The Captain landed on the runway but was unable to align himself with the centre line and in consequence ran off the runway and struck a steel windsock support and thereafter struck various obstructions such as trees which lay in the path.
The following factors were considered as contributory:
- Because of radio interference due to a storm, proper use could not be made of the radio navigational facilities carried on the aircraft,
- The lack of appreciation by the Captain of his final responsibility for the operational control of the aircraft, which includes diversionary action, and his apparent failure to appreciate the purely advisory responsibility of Khartoum as a flight information centre.

Final Report:

Crash of a Vickers Viscount in Khartoum

Date & Time: Aug 27, 1952 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Viscount

Operator:

Registration:

G-AHRF

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Demonstration

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

001

YOM:

1946

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Crash of a Vickers 607 Valetta C.1 in Khartoum

Date & Time: Jun 30, 1952

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Valetta

Operator:

Registration:

VW164

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

334

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

During the takeoff roll, the pilot-in-command encountered technical issues with the left engine that lost power. He decided to attempt an emergency braking procedure but the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and plunged into a ravine before coming to rest against a house. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Technical issue on the left engine during takeoff.

Crash of a Vickers 607 Valetta C.1 in Khartoum

Date & Time: Feb 20, 1952

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Valetta

Operator:

Registration:

VX492

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site: