Incident Overview
Date: Wednesday 14 January 1970
Aircraft Type: de Havilland DH-106 Comet 4C
Owner/operator: United Arab Airlines – UAA
Registration Number: SU-ANI
Location: Addis Ababa-Haile Selassie I International Airport (ADD) –
ÿ Ethiopia
Phase of Flight: Landing
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 14
Component Affected: Aircraft Wing and Pod Fuel TankAircraft Wing and Pod Fuel Tank
Category: Accident
A flight from Cairo to Khartoum experienced a significant incident during final approach. The aircraft broke through clouds at approximately 150 feet, but drifted to the right of runway 32, resulting in a higher-than-normal landing flare. This caused a stall, leading to a crash impacting the runway.A flight from Cairo to Khartoum experienced a significant incident during final approach. The aircraft broke through clouds at approximately 150 feet, but drifted to the right of runway 32, resulting in a higher-than-normal landing flare. This caused a stall, leading to a crash impacting the runway.
Description
After a flight from Cairo and Khartoum, the aircraft was inbound at 04:14. On final approach the aircraft broke through clouds at approx. 150 feet, but was 200-300 feet to the right of runway 32. The Comet banked left, made some shallow turns and made a higher than normal landing flare half way down the runway. This caused the aircraft to stall; the left wing and pod fuel tank struck the runway and the Comet crashed. CAUSE: Attempted landing from unfavorable position, brought about by the fact that the pilot had descended below weather minima before being able to establish visual ground contact.
Primary Cause
Pilot’s descent below weather minima, resulting in an unfavorable landing position.Pilot’s descent below weather minima, resulting in an unfavorable landing position.Share on:
