1969 Aswan Ilyushin Il-18 crash
On 20 March 1969, a United Arab Airlines Ilyushin Il-18 crashed while attempting to land at Aswan Airport. 100 of the 105 passengers and crew on board were killed in the crash.
 An Ilyushin Il-18 similar to the crash aircraft | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 20 March 1969 |
| Summary | Pilot error in low visibility and poor weather |
| Site | Aswan International Airport 23.958°N 32.820°E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Ilyushin Il-18D |
| Operator | United Arab Airlines |
| Registration | SU-APC |
| Flight origin | King Abdulaziz International Airport |
| Destination | Aswan International Airport |
| Passengers | 98 |
| Crew | 7 |
| Fatalities | 100 |
| Injuries | 5 |
| Survivors | 5 |
The crash
The flight was a non-scheduled international passenger service from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Aswan, Egypt. The aircraft was carrying home Muslim worshippers who had won a pilgrimage through a lottery.[1] It was dark in the early morning when the flight attempted to land and blowing sand had reduced visibility to 2–3 kilometers. After two unsuccessful attempts to land, the aircraft was making a third try when it banked to the right and hit the left side of the runway. The starboard wing tore off and a fuel spillage followed which caused the crashed aircraft to burst into flames.[2]
Cause
The probable cause was determined to be that the "Pilot descended below the minimum safe altitude without having the runway lights clearly in sight. A contributory factor was fatigue arising from continuous working hours without suitable rest periods."[3]
References
- Mecca pilgrims die in plane crash
- Gero, David (1996). Aviation Disasters Second Edition. Patrick Stephens Limited. p. 89.
- Aircraft accident Ilyushin 18D SU-APC Aswan Airport
External links
- 1969 Aswan Ilyushin Il-18 crash at AirDisaster.com
- "Fatal Accidents on Public Transport Operations 1969". Flight International: 84. 15 January 1970.