Date & Time:
Jan 24, 1979 at 1940 LT
Type of aircraft:
Nord 262
Operator:
Registration:
7T-VSU
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Adrar - Béchar
MSN:
19
YOM:
1966
Country:
Algeria
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
14
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
14
Circumstances:
On approach to Béchar Airport by night, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck the ground and crashed in a desert area located about 15 km from the runway threshold. 14 passengers were killed while nine other occupants, among them all three crew members, were injured.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of the combination of the following factors:
- Poor approach planning,
- The crew failed to comply with published procedures,
- Lack of crew coordination,
- Crew fatigue,
- A possible malfunction of the captain altimeter.
- Poor approach planning,
- The crew failed to comply with published procedures,
- Lack of crew coordination,
- Crew fatigue,
- A possible malfunction of the captain altimeter.
