1977 Libyan Arab Airlines Tu-154 crash

1977 Libyan Arab Airlines Tu-154 crash

A Balkan Tu-154 similar to the one involved
Accident
Date	2 December 1977 (1977-12-02)
Summary	Forced landing after fuel exhaustion
Site	Near Benghazi, Libya 32°06′16″N20°22′14″E / 32.10456°N 20.370432°E / 32.10456; 20.370432
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Tupolev Tu-154
Operator	Libyan Arab Airlines leased from Balkan Bulgarian Airlines
Registration	LZ-BTN
Flight origin	Jiddah International Airport, Saudi Arabia
Destination	Benina International Airport, Libya
Occupants	165
Passengers	159
Crew	6
Fatalities	59
Survivors	106

On 2 December 1977, a Tupolev Tu-154 passenger jet ran out of fuel and made a forced landing 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]

Accident

The aircraft took off from Jiddah 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. ^[4] 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 made a forced landing, killing 59 out of the 165 on board. ^{[3] [4] [1]}

See also

• Avianca Flight 052

References

1. "Хроника падающих Ту-154" [• Gazeta.Ru: Chronicle of falling Tu-154]. www.gazeta.ru (in Russian). 10 July 2001. Archived from the original on 14 July 2001. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
2. "Crash of a Tupolev TU-154 in Al Bayda: 59 killed". www.baaa-acro.com. B3A Aircraft Accidents Archives. Archived from the original on 9 April 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
3. Ranter, Harro. "Aviation Safety Network LZ-BTN accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Archived from the original on 8 April 2005. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
4. "FLIGHT SAFETY 1977 — a safe year for scheduled passengers". www.flightglobal.com. 21 January 1978. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2010.