Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle 10B3 – OY-STL

Incident Overview

Date: Tuesday 14 March 1972

Aircraft Type: Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle 10B3

Owner/operator: Sterling Airways

Registration Number: OY-STL

Location: ca 20 km W of Kalba – ÿ United Arab Emirates

Phase of Flight: En route

Status: Destroyed, written off

Casualties: Fatalities: 112 / Occupants: 112

Component Affected: Flight Navigation System (including Flight Plan Data, Weather Radar Interpretation, and Altitude Monitoring)Flight Navigation System (including Flight Plan Data, Weather Radar Interpretation, and Altitude Monitoring)

Investigating Agency: DAIDAI

Category: Accident

Sterling Airways flight 296 experienced a catastrophic accident during descent towards Dubai Airport, resulting in the loss of all 112 occupants. The flight, a charter service from Colombo (CMB) to Copenhagen (CPH), took off at 15:20 UTC, utilizing a pre-planned route involving refueling stops in Bombay, Dubai, and Ankara. After a one-hour stopover in Bombay, the flight commenced its descent towards Dubai at 17:25, with an IFR flight plan submitted for airway R19, encompassing five reporting points. The flight encountered a wind of 040 degrees at 8 knots, visibility of 10 km, and cloud cover of 5/8, all within the Dubai weather conditions. At 17:42, the flight contacted Dubai Approach, reporting a 084 radial of the DO VOR. The controller instructed descent at 17:55, but the crew radioed an immediate descent request at 17:49, when the aircraft was approximately 95 NM from Dubai. The controller cleared the flight down to 4000 feet and reported runway 30 and 12 as available. The flight replied: ‘We will see if we can make this a straight in on 30’. At 17:56, the flight reported descending through FL135. The controller replied: ‘Recleered ‘DO’ 2000 feet on Dubai 1016 mb report 2000 feet or field in sight’. In conditions of darkness, the flight crew likely spotted the city lights of Fujayrah, Ghurayfah, and Kalba during the descent, assuming these were the lights of Dubai. Radio contact between the flight and Dubai Approach became increasingly difficult due to mountainous terrain. Approximately 80 km to the east of Dubai, the flight also experienced difficulties tuning into NDB and VOR frequencies. Descent continued until the aircraft struck a mountain ridge at 1600 feet. The cause was likely a failure to maintain the required minimum altitude, potentially due to pilots misinterpreting the weather radar or a combination of both, and possibly due to an outdated flight plan. The aircraft was flying below the prescribed minimum altitude, possibly as a result of incorrect information on the flight plan, flawed weather radar interpretation, or a combination of both.Sterling Airways flight 296 experienced a catastrophic accident during descent towards Dubai Airport, resulting in the loss of all 112 occupants. The flight, a charter service from Colombo (CMB) to Copenhagen (CPH), took off at 15:20 UTC, utilizing a pre-planned route involving refueling stops in Bombay, Dubai, and Ankara. After a one-hour stopover in Bombay, the flight commenced its descent towards Dubai at 17:25, with an IFR flight plan submitted for airway R19, encompassing five reporting points. The flight encountered a wind of 040 degrees at 8 knots, visibility of 10 km, and cloud cover of 5/8, all within the Dubai weather conditions. At 17:42, the flight contacted Dubai Approach, reporting a 084 radial of the DO VOR. The controller instructed descent at 17:55, but the crew radioed an immediate descent request at 17:49, when the aircraft was approximately 95 NM from Dubai. The controller cleared the flight down to 4000 feet and reported runway 30 and 12 as available. The flight replied: ‘We will see if we can make this a straight in on 30’. At 17:56, the flight reported descending through FL135. The controller replied: ‘Recleered ‘DO’ 2000 feet on Dubai 1016 mb report 2000 feet or field in sight’. In conditions of darkness, the flight crew likely spotted the city lights of Fujayrah, Ghurayfah, and Kalba during the descent, assuming these were the lights of Dubai. Radio contact between the flight and Dubai Approach became increasingly difficult due to mountainous terrain. Approximately 80 km to the east of Dubai, the flight also experienced difficulties tuning into NDB and VOR frequencies. Descent continued until the aircraft struck a mountain ridge at 1600 feet. The cause was likely a failure to maintain the required minimum altitude, potentially due to pilots misinterpreting the weather radar or a combination of both, and possibly due to an outdated flight plan. The aircraft was flying below the prescribed minimum altitude, possibly as a result of incorrect information on the flight plan, flawed weather radar interpretation, or a combination of both.

Description

Sterling Airways flight 296, a Caravelle, impacted a mountain during descent towards Dubai Airport, UAE, killing all 112 occupants. Flight NB296 was a charter service from Colombo (CMB), Sri Lanka to Copenhagen (CPH), Denmark. Refueling stops were planned at Bombay, Dubai, and Ankara. After a one-hour stopover at Bombay, the flight took off for Dubai at 15:20 hours UTC. An IFR flight plan was submitted for airway R19, containing five reporting points. The en route altitude was FL310 and all reporting points were passed ahead of schedule. At 17:25 the crew received the current Dubai weather information which showed a wind from 040 degrees at 8 knots; 10 km visibility; and 5/8 clouds at 2000 feet. At 17:42 the flight contacted Dubai Approach and reported on the 084 radial of the Dubai (DO) VOR. The approach controller told the crew to expect descent clearance at 17:55. However, at 17:49, the crew radioed approach control, requesting an immediate descent as they were 95 NM out. Unknown to the crew, their actual position was 162 NM from Dubai. The controller cleared the flight down to 4000 feet and reported that runway 30 and 12 were both available. The flight replied: “We will see if we can make this a straight in on 30”. At 17:56 hours the flight reported descending through FL135. The controller replied: “Recleared ‘DO’ 2000 feet on Dubai 1016 mb report 2000 feet or field in sight”. In conditions of darkness the flight crew likely spotted the city lights of Fujayrah, Ghurayfah and Kalba during the descent, assuming these were the lights of Dubai. Radio contact between the flight and Dubai Approach became more difficult during the descent over mountainous terrain. As a result of flying over mountainous terrain, about 80 km to the east of Dubai, flight 296 also had difficulty in tuning into the NDB and VOR frequencies. Descent was continued until the plane struck a mountain ridge at 1600 feet. The reason for the accident was that the aircraft was flown below the prescribed minimum altitude, probably because: 1. The pilots thought that they were closer to their destination than they actually were, supposedly due to the incorrect information on the outdated flight plan in use or due to a misreading of the weather radar, or a combination of both. 2. The pilots thought they had their position confirmed when they got visual contact with the towns of Fujayrah, Ghurayfah and Kalba, mistaking these for Dubai.

Primary Cause

Incorrect information on the flight plan, flawed weather radar interpretation, or a combination of both, leading to misjudgment of position and altitude.Incorrect information on the flight plan, flawed weather radar interpretation, or a combination of both, leading to misjudgment of position and altitude.

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