Date & Time:
Dec 8, 1988
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-7
Operator:
Registration:
N284
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
No
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Dakar - Agadir
MSN:
45203
YOM:
1957
Country:
Mauritania
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
5
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
En route from Dakar to Agadir, while cruising at the altitude of 11,000 feet, the aircraft was hit by a SAM-7 surface-to-air missile. An engine detached and out of control, the aircraft entered a dive and crashed in a desert area near Bir Moghreïn. All five occupants were killed. They were on their way to Agadir on behalf of the United States Agency for International Development.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a SAM-7 surface-to-air missile fired by soldiers of the Front Polisario.
