1977 Benghazi Libyan Arab Airlines Tu-154 crash

1977 Benghazi Libyan Arab Airlines Tu-154 crash

The aircraft involved in the accident, in Balkan Bulgarian livery
Accident
Date	2 December 1977
Summary	Fuel exhaustion
Site	near Benghazi, Libya
Aircraft type	Tupolev Tu-154
Operator	Libyan Arab Airlines leased from Balkan Bulgarian Airlines
Registration	LZ-BTN
Flight origin	King Abdulaziz International Airport, Saudi Arabia
Destination	Benina International Airport, Libya
Passengers	159
Crew	6
Fatalities	59
Survivors	106

On 2 December 1977, a Tupolev Tu-154 passenger jet ran out of fuel and crashed near Benghazi, Libya. A total of 59 passengers were killed.^[1][2]

Aircraft

The aircraft was a Tu-154A registered LZ-BTN and had its first flight in 1974.^[3] It was one of six Tu-154s to be leased by Libyan Arab Airlines from Balkan Bulgarian Airlines for that year's pilgrim flights to Mecca for the Hajj.^[3][4]

Accident

The aircraft took off from King Abdulaziz International Airport in Saudi Arabia on a flight to Benina International Airport in the Libyan city of Benghazi with a crew of six and 159 passengers – pilgrims returning to Libya from the Hajj – on board.^[3] Egyptian airspace was closed to Libyan aircraft at the time, necessitating an indirect route to Benghazi instead of the direct route across Egypt; the crew reportedly did not plan for the longer flight time, leaving the aircraft short of fuel.^[5] As the aircraft neared Benghazi heavy fog blanketed the airport and the crew could not land the aircraft.^[3] After failing to locate the alternate airport the aircraft ran out of fuel and crashed during the crew's subsequent attempt to make an emergency landing, killing 59 passengers.^[3][6]

References