Butnan (البطنان) | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The right main gear collapsed on landing. The airplane came on its belly and the other undercarriage failed as well. The airplane slid for several yards before coming to rest in flames. There were no injuries and the fire was quickly contained but the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Failure of the right main gear on landing.

Crash of a Blackburn B-101 Beverley C.1 in El Adem: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1963

Type of aircraft:

Blackburn B-101 Beverley

Operator:

Registration:

XB268

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

1011

YOM:

1956

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While descending to El Adem, the crew was informed about weather conditions at destination and ATC suggested the captain to divert to another airport due to low visibility. In agreement with the rest of the crew, the captain decided to attempt an approach when on final, the copilot suggested him to go around. For unknown reason, the captain continued the approach and passed below the decision height when the aircraft struck the ground about 500 meters short of runway 27/09 threshold. Two crew members were seriously injured while five others occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Wrong decision on part of the captain who decided to continue the approach in below minima weather conditions and failed to go around. Poor weather conditions were considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings C.2 in El Adem: 17 killed

Date & Time: Oct 10, 1961

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings

Operator:

Registration:

WD498

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

El Adem – Luqa

MSN:

126

YOM:

1951

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was engaged in a flight from El Adem to Luqa, Malta, carrying 34 members of the Maltese Artillery Contingent and 3 crew members of the 70th Squadron. Shortly after rotation, while in initial climb, the aircraft stalled and banked right. Immediately, the captain elected to regain control but the airplane struck the runway surface, rotated 90° and eventually crashed and burst into flames. A crew member and 16 passengers were killed while 20 other occupants were injured, some of them seriously. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Investigations determined that the loss of control that occurred shortly after takeoff was caused by the movement of the safety catch located on the rails of the copilot's seat that dislodged. This caused the seat to slid on its rails back to the stop. As a result, the copilot involuntarily pull the control column, causing the aircraft to nose up and to stall due to an excessive angle of attack. It was determined that the copilot was flying when control was lost after rotation, which was non compliant as he did not have a licence allowing him to perform a takeoff with passengers on board.

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

Date & Time: May 28, 1957

Type of aircraft:

Percival P.66 Pembroke

Operator:

Registration:

XK859

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

0071

YOM:

1956

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

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 Douglas C-47A-1-DK in El Adem

Date & Time: Jan 23, 1946

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

G-AGIY

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

12102

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed on landing. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK Dakota C.3 in El Adem: 6 killed

Date & Time: Nov 14, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

KG598

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

El Adem - El Adem

MSN:

13329

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a training flight at El Adem Airport. On final approach, according to the training program, the instructor abandoned the landing procedure and attempted a go around when the aircraft stalled and crashed short of the runway threshold. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all six crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

It appears that the aircraft stalled at a critical stage of flight when the crew inadvertently raised the flaps instead of the landing gear while they were attempting a go around procedure. Due to the loss of lift, the aircraft stalled and crashed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-35-DK Dakota C.4 in El Adem

Date & Time: Oct 9, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

KN698

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

16666/33414

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Two minutes after its night takeoff from El Adem Airport, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain and burnt, 4 km northwest of the airport. There were no casualties but the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland III in Libya: 19 killed

Date & Time: Nov 5, 1943 at 2245 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.25 Sunderland

Operator:

Registration:

G-AGIB

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Desert

Schedule:

Cairo - Djerba - Poole

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

While cruising over Libya by night and in good weather conditions, one the right engine caught fire. The crew reduced his altitude in an attempt to make an emergency landing in the desert but while descending, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in flames some 150 km southeast of Tobruk. All 19 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

According to officials, a fire with very high intensity broke out on one of both right engines and quickly spread to the right wing that separated during the descent, causing the plane to crash.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near El Adem

Date & Time: Jan 10, 1942 at 2325 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

L7864

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

El Adem - Buerat

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed El Adem at 2315LT on a flight to Buerat. Few minutes after takeoff, one of the engine failed. The crew attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crash landed in a desert area located 11 km north of El Adem. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and all six crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt J. F. R. Morrison,
P/O R. Salmon,
P/O La Brish,
Sgt Clay,
Sgt D. Griffin,
Sgt James.

Probable cause:

Engine failure after takeoff.