Oriental | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

During a night approach, the aircraft landed 20 metres to the right of runway 06 in a slight right bank. It continued to roll for several hundred metres before coming back onto the paved surface. Doing so, the nose gear collapsed and the aircraft came to rest. All 60 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The visibility was reported to be 1,600 metres at the time of the accident.

Crash of a BAe 146-100 in Cap de Trois Fourhces: 38 killed

Date & Time: Sep 25, 1998 at 0750 LT

Type of aircraft:

BAe 146

Operator:

Registration:

EC-GEO

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Málaga – Melilla

MSN:

E1007

YOM:

1983

Flight number:

PV4101

Location:

Cap de Trois Fourches

Oriental

Country:

Morocco

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

7818

Captain / Total hours on type:

1648.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

3501

Copilot / Total hours on type:

408

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Málaga-Pablo Ruiz Picasso Airport, the crew initiated the descent to Melilla Airport in marginal weather conditions. After being cleared to descend to 7,000 feet from Sevilla ATC, the crew contacted Melilla Tower and was cleared to descend to 5,000 feet. Melilla Tower then reported that runway 33 was in use and reported wind at 270° at 5 knots, visibility 8 km with few clouds at 1,000 feet. At 0645LT the copilot reported that they were at 22 nm at an altitude of 3,000 feet. From this point, the crew descended below the minimum safe altitude of 4,000 feet and crossed the coast line in limited visibility due to low clouds. At 0749 and 52 seconds, the GPWS alarm sounded twice in the cockpit. Few seconds later, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located near Cap de Trois Fourche. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 38 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Given the facts and analysis conducted, the Commission concluded that the accident was caused by a collision with terrain in IMC conditions. This confirms the hypothesis put forward by members of the committee of investigation from the beginning of their investigations, it is a type of CFIT accident (collision with the ground without loss of control) due to the combination of the following factors:
- Non application of the arrival procedure, including descending below the minimum safe altitude,
- Inadequate crew coordination,
- Non application of company procedures regarding the GPWS alarm.

Final Report:

Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle VI-N in Oujda

Date & Time: Dec 9, 1977

Type of aircraft:

Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle

Operator:

Registration:

F-BYAU

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

192

YOM:

1965

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

22546

Circumstances:

One of the main gear collapsed upon landing at Oujda Airport. The airplane slid for few dozen meters before coming to rest. All occupants evacuated safely but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

An undercarriage collapsed upon landing for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Douglas C-47D near Guercif

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1952

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

43-48958

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Site:

Mountains

MSN:

14774/26219

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances in a mountainous area located 30 km north of Guercif.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina near the Cap de Trois Fourches: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jun 15, 1944 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated PBY Catalina

Operator:

Registration:

JX258

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Location:

Cap de Trois Fourches

Oriental

Country:

Morocco

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While on a maritime patrol flight along the Moroccan coast, the seaplane hit a mountain slope located near the Cap de Trois Fourches, north of the Spanish enclave of Melilla. All nine crew members were killed.
Crew (202nd Squadron):
Sgt Ronald Vivian Allen,
F/L Douglas Boyle,
F/O Robert William Clark-Hall,
F/O Harry Roy Keen,
F/S Charles Ernest Lang,
F/S William James McDonald,
F/S Edward George McNeal,
Sgt Robert William Pole,
Sgt Samuel Lester Squire.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-30-DL in Oujda: 16 killed

Date & Time: Jun 3, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

FD886

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Biskra – Oujda

MSN:

9538

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft left Biskra at 0643LT on a routine transport flight to Oujda. Five minutes before its own signaled ETA, the pilot took advantage of a hole in the cloud over which he had been flying for some considerable time, to get below the cloud. Upon breaking cloud, the aircraft was seen to circle in a valley. Unaccountably, the aircraft was seen to turn to port and climb into cloud away from a road and valley, which was clear, with visibility 4 to 5 miles below cloud. The mountaintop was covered by drifting cloud at the time and the aircraft was climbing steeply when it crashed. It crashed into the side of a mountain, killing 16 on board. One passenger survived.
Source:
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19440603-2

Probable cause:

An Inquiry into the accident found that "the accident was a gross error of judgement by the pilot in flying blind unnecessarily when uncertain of his position, and for the navigator’s poor navigation who did not use all means at his disposal."

Crash of a Farman F.222 in Metlili: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 22, 1939 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Farman F.220/F.224

Operator:

Registration:

L-226

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Blida – Casablanca

MSN:

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Blida to Casablanca, the crew encountered poor weather conditions when the aircraft crashed near the bus station of Metlili. All six crew members were killed.