Incident Overview

Date: Friday 18 March 1966
Aircraft Type: Antonov An-24V
Owner/operator: United Arab Airlines – UAA
Registration Number: SU-AOA
Location: 5 km NE of Cairo International Airport (CAI) – ÿ Egypt
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 30 / Occupants: 30
Component Affected: Aircraft Flight Control System (specifically, descent control and impact protection).Aircraft Flight Control System (specifically, descent control and impact protection).
Category: Accident
A flight, Flight 749, experienced severe weather conditions along its route to Cairo. The crew reported a thunderstorm with turbulent and icing conditions, leading to an altimeter reading of 25000 feet and a compass malfunction. The aircraft crashed 5 km from the runway, likely due to a descent below the safe flight altitude, resulting in impact with sand dunes. The pilot lost control, causing the crash.A flight, Flight 749, experienced severe weather conditions along its route to Cairo. The crew reported a thunderstorm with turbulent and icing conditions, leading to an altimeter reading of 25000 feet and a compass malfunction. The aircraft crashed 5 km from the runway, likely due to a descent below the safe flight altitude, resulting in impact with sand dunes. The pilot lost control, causing the crash.

Description

Flight 749 took off from Nicosia at 15:49 for a flight to Cairo. Bad weather existed along the route and weather at destination Cairo was also worsening. The crew contacted Misrair Operations and requested information about possible airports for a diversion. The crew also reported they where flying in a thunderstorm with turbulent and icing conditions. One altimeter read 24000 feet while the other read 25000 feet, the magnetic compass was unserviceable and there was a crack in a cockpit window panel due to the thunderstorm. Possible like Alexandria, Port Said and El Arish were discussed, but the flight continued to Cairo. The flight was cleared for a runway 23 approach and landing, but nothing more was heard from the flight. The aircraft had crashed and caught fire 5 km from the runway. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The accident arose from the descent of the aircraft below the safe flight altitude in the final approach and the impact of the port wing against the sand dunes lying to the northeast of the aerodrome. As a result the pilot lost control of his aircraft and hit the ground. It is probable that the cause of descent of the aircraft below the safe level was due to the change from IFR to VFR, taking into consideration that considerable time would have been needed for the pilot to have adapted to this change in the prevailing weather conditions.”

Source of Information

https://www.airhistory.net/info/soviet.phphttps://www.airhistory.net/info/soviet.php

Primary Cause

Severe weather conditions, specifically a thunderstorm and descent below the safe flight altitude, combined with the impact of the port wing against sand dunes.Severe weather conditions, specifically a thunderstorm and descent below the safe flight altitude, combined with the impact of the port wing against sand dunes.

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