Agadir air disaster
 An Alia Boeing 707-321C similar to aircraft that crashed | |
| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | August 3, 1975 |
| Summary | Controlled flight into terrain |
| Site | Agadir, Morocco |
| Passengers | 181 |
| Crew | 7 |
| Fatalities | 188 (all) |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 707-321C |
| Operator | Alia on behalf of Royal Air Maroc |
| Registration | JY-AEE |
| Flight origin | Le Bourget Airport, Paris |
| Destination | Inezgane Airport, Agadir |
The Agadir air disaster was a chartered Boeing 707 passenger flight on Sunday, August 3, 1975 that crashed into a mountain on approach to Agadir Inezgane Airport, Morocco. All 188 passengers and crew on board were killed. It is the deadliest aviation disaster involving a Boeing 707, as well as the deadliest in Morocco.[1]
Flight
The 707, owned by Alia, was chartered by the national airline of Morocco, Royal Air Maroc, to fly 181 Moroccan workers and their families from France home for the holidays.[2] There was heavy fog in the area and the aircraft was flying in from the northeast over the Atlas Mountains. As the 707 was descending from 8,000 feet for a runway 29 approach, its right wingtip and no. 4 (outer-right) engine struck a peak at 2,400 feet (730 m) altitude. Part of the wing separated. Control was lost and the aircraft crashed into a ravine.
Rescue teams found wreckage over a wide area. The destruction was so complete, nothing bigger than 10 square feet (0.9 m2) in size was found.
The cause of the crash was determined to be pilot error in not ensuring positive course guidance before beginning descent.[3]
References
- ↑ "Aviation Safety Network".
- ↑ "188 die in crash of jetliner in Morocco".
- ↑ Accident Synopsis 08031975 Archived February 28, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.