Sudan Airways Flight 2241

Last updated

Sudan Airways Flight 2241
AZZA Air Transport B707-330C ST-AKW (8518489171).jpg
ST-AKW, the aircraft involved, seen in July 2001
Accident
Date21 October 2009 (2009-10-21)
SummaryStalled shortly after take-off due to pilot error following engine cowl separation
SiteNear Sharjah International Airport, United Arab Emirates
Aircraft
Aircraft type Boeing 707-330C [1]
Operator Sudan Airways leased from Azza Transport
IATA flight No.SD2241
ICAO flight No.SUD2241
Call signSUDANAIR 2241 [2]
Registration ST-AKW
Flight origin Sharjah International Airport, United Arab Emirates
Destination Khartoum International Airport, Khartoum, Sudan
Occupants6
Passengers3
Crew3
Fatalities6
Survivors0

Sudan Airways Flight 2241 was a scheduled cargo flight from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates to Khartoum, Sudan operated by a Boeing 707-330C. On 21 October 2009, the cargo plane's No. 4 engine cowling separated during lift off, and in an attempt to turn the plane around, it stalled and crashed north of the airport. All six occupants were killed.

Contents

Background

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was Boeing 707-330C ST-AKW. [3] [4] The aircraft was s/n 20112, line number 788. [5] The aircraft first flew on 1 May 1968 and was delivered to Lufthansa on 17 February 1969 where it was registered D-ABUJ. From 23 March 1977, it was leased to Condor until it was sold to the United Arab Emirates on 5 May 1981. The aircraft was re-registered A6-DPA. On 26 May 1986, the aircraft was sold to the Sudanese Government and re-registered ST-AKW. On 26 October 1986, it was sold to Nile Safaris Aviation, serving until sold to Trans Arabian Air Transport on 28 May 1992. The final change of ownership was on 16 August 1994 when it was sold to Azza Transport. [3] :22

Crew

Three flight crew members, a ground engineer, and two loadmasters were aboard the flight: [3] :12

The captain was 61-year-old Muhammad al-Halfawi. He had previously worked for Sudan Airways, [3] :16 and had 19,943 flight hours, but his experience on the Boeing 707 was not stated. [3] :15 34-year-old First Officer Aladdin Moharam had 6,649 flight hours, including 5,011 hours on the Boeing 707. [3] :15 The flight engineer, 53-year-old Muhammad al-Fateh Mohyeddin, had 7,324 flight hours, all of which were on the Boeing 707. [3] :15 Also on-board were 55-year-old ground engineer Assawi Hamed, and loadmasters Makki Abdul-Aziz & Abu-Bakr Hasan Ahmed. [6] [7]

Accident

External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg CCTV footage of the incident on YouTube

At 15:30 local time (11:30 UTC) on 21 October 2009, a Boeing 707-320 of Azza Transport crashed 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) from the end of runway 30 of Sharjah International Airport. [3] :12 [8] The flight was destined for Khartoum International Airport and had just taken off at the time of the accident. [2] The aircraft was carrying a cargo of air conditioning units, car parts, computers and tools. [9] A piece of the aircraft fell off shortly after it became airborne, which was later identified as a part of a cowling from engine No. 4. [3] :30 [10] The aircraft was totally destroyed in the crash and subsequent fire which killed all six crew on board. [2]

Investigation

Sheik Khalid Al-Qasimi stated that the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the United Arab Emirates launched an investigation into the crash. [8] It is reported that one area of inquiry is the engines. The Cockpit Voice Recorder and Flight Data Recorder were recovered and sent to the United Kingdom for analysis. [10] In February 2010, it was reported that both recorders were not functioning, and no data was recovered from them. In January 2011, the GCAA released an interim report. An engine cowling fell away from the No. 4 engine shortly after takeoff. [11] The final report stated the cause of the accident was the aircraft exceeding the maximum bank angle. This caused a stall and loss of control that was not recoverable. The crew were responding to a perceived power loss of engine No. 4, although their response was inappropriate. The No. 4 engine's core cowls departed from the engine, and this led to the separation of the Engine Pressure Ratio flex line. [3] :45

Consequences

Azza Transport was banned from operating in the United Arab Emirates while the investigation into the accident took place. [9] It ceased operations a few months after the initiation of the investigation. [3] :50

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saudia</span> Flag carrier of Saudi Arabia; based in Jeddah

Saudia, formerly known as Saudi Arabian Airlines, is the flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah. The airline's main hubs are the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the latter of which it plans to move out of by 2030.

Egyptair is the state-owned flag carrier of Egypt. The airline is headquartered at Cairo International Airport, its main hub, operating scheduled passenger and freight services to 81 destinations in Africa, Europe, Asia, and The Americas. Egyptair is a member of Star Alliance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharjah International Airport</span> Airport in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Sharjah International Airport is an international airport located 7 nautical miles east-southeast of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. It is spread over an area of 15,200,000 m2. It has one runway, and is the only airport in Sharjah capable of international flights as of 2022. By 2027 it is expected to increase its capacity to 25 million passengers annually.

Lufthansa Cargo AG is a German cargo airline and a wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa. It operates worldwide air freight and logistics services and is headquartered at Frankfurt Airport, the main hub of Lufthansa. Besides operating dedicated cargo planes, the company also has access to cargo capacities of 350 passenger aircraft of the Lufthansa Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TMA Cargo</span> Inactive cargo airline in Lebanon

Trans Mediterranean Airways SAL, styled as TMA Cargo, was a cargo airline based in Beirut, Lebanon. The airline restarted operations in 2010, following a six-year hiatus. It suspended operations once again in September 2014.

Cargo Plus Aviation was a cargo airline based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It operated ad hoc flights to Asia, Africa and eastern Europe.

Azza Transport Company was a cargo airline based in Khartoum, Sudan. It operated a cargo charter service throughout Africa and the Middle East and was planning services for Europe. Its main base was at Khartoum International Airport.

Juba Air Cargo was a cargo airline based in Khartoum, Sudan. It was established in 1996 and operated domestic cargo services. Its main base was at Khartoum International Airport. In 2008 the airline ceased all operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sudan Airways Flight 139</span> 2003 aviation accident

Sudan Airways Flight 139 was a Sudan Airways passenger flight that crashed on 8 July 2003 at Port Sudan. The Boeing 737 aircraft was operating a domestic scheduled Port Sudan–Khartoum passenger service. Some 15 minutes after takeoff, the aircraft lost power in one of its engines, which prompted the crew to return to the airport for an emergency landing. In doing so, the pilots missed the airport runway, and the airplane descended until it hit the ground, disintegrating after impact. Of the 117 people aboard, 116 died.

This is a list of aviation-related events from 2009.

Air France has been in operation since 1933. Its aircraft have been involved in a number of major accidents and incidents. The deadliest accident of the airline occurred on June 1, 2009, when Air France Flight 447, an Airbus A330-203, flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed into the Atlantic Ocean with 228 fatalities. A selected list of the most noteworthy of these events is given below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UPS Airlines Flight 6</span> 2010 aviation accident in Dubai

On September 3, 2010, UPS Airlines Flight 6, the Boeing 747-400F flying the route between Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Cologne, Germany, developed an in-flight fire, which caused the aircraft to crash, killing both crew members, the only people on board. It was the first fatal air crash for UPS Airlines. The accident prompted a re-evaluation of safety procedures protecting airliners from cockpit smoke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accidents and incidents involving the An-12 family</span> List of model-specific aviation incidents

The Antonov An-12 is a transport aircraft designed and manufactured by the Ukrainian manufacturing and services company Antonov. Given the long operational history of the An-12, more than 190 An-12s have crashed involving many casualties. The An-12 has also been involved in a number of aviation incidents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1976 Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano Boeing 707 crash</span> Deadliest plane crash in Bolivia

On 13 October 1976, a Boeing 707-131F, a chartered cargo aircraft operated for Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano (LAB) crashed shortly after takeoff at El Trompillo Airport, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, into a residential neighbourhood. All three crew on board were killed, along with 88 other fatalities on the ground, bringing the total up to 91. It is the deadliest air disaster to happen on Bolivian soil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omega Aerial Refueling Services Flight 70</span> 2011 aviation accident

Omega Aerial Refueling Services Flight 70 was scheduled to provide aerial refueling to US Navy F/A-18 fighter jets. On May 18, 2011, it crashed on takeoff following engine separation. All 3 crew members on-board survived.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1983 TAMPA Colombia Boeing 707 crash</span> Aviation accident

On December 14, 1983, a TAMPA Colombia Boeing 707 crashed after taking off from Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellín, Colombia on a ferry flight, killing all three people on board and 22 more people on the ground.

References

  1. "Plane involved in accident at Sharjah Airport". Gulf News. 21 October 2009. Archived from the original on 24 October 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Archived from the original on 24 October 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "AIR ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION SECTOR - FINAL AIR ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPORT - AIRCRAFT CRASH AFTER TAKEOFF - Boeing 707-330C, ST-AKW, Azza Air Transport, Near Sharjah International Airport, The United Arab Emirates, 21 October 2009" (PDF). General Civil Aviation Authority. 12 March 2013. 10/2009. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  4. Hradecky, Simon. "Crash: Azza Transport B707 at Sharjah on Oct 21st 2009, lost height after takeoff". The Aviation Herald . Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  5. "Boeing Production List, Boeing Seattle (Part 03)". ABCD List. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  6. "تحطم طائرة شحن سودانية في الشارقة ومقتل أفراد طاقمها الستة بعد إقلاعها" [A Sudanese cargo plane crashed after takeoff, killing all six crew members.] (in Arabic). Al-Etihad. 22 October 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  7. "تحطم طائرة شحن تابعة لسودانير فى مطار الشارقة (نقلاً من أخبار اليوم السودانية )" [The crash of a Sudan Airways cargo plane at Sharjah Airport (quoted from Sudanese newspaper Akhbar Elyoum)]. Saggai Forum (in Arabic). 22 October 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  8. 1 2 "Six dead as cargo plane crashes at Sharjah Airport". Arabian Business. Archived from the original on 23 October 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  9. 1 2 "Sharjah 707 crash inquiry confirms part fell from jet". Flightglobal. Archived from the original on 29 October 2009. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  10. 1 2 "Crash inquiry focuses on old engines". The National . Archived from the original on 25 October 2009. Retrieved 26 October 2009.
  11. Hradecky, Simon. "Crash: Azza Transport B707 at Sharjah on Oct 21st 2009, lost height after takeoff". The Aviation Herald . Retrieved 21 January 2010.