Sudanese Boeing 707 freighter crash at Sharjah claims six lives

by B.N. Sullivan

A Sudanese-registered Boeing 707-300C freighter has crashed in Sharjah, UAE, claiming the lives of all six crew members on board. The aircraft (registration ST-AKW) was completely destroyed by the crash and the fire that ensued. No one on the ground was injured.

According to news reports, the accident occurred at about 15:30 local time on October 21, 2009, shortly after the aircraft departed from Sharjah International Airport, en route to Khartoum. The aircraft was operating as Flight SD 2241.

A Gulf News article about the accident quoted eyewitnesses who said that after taking off, the aircraft veered sharply to the right, flipped, and burst into flames as it impacted the ground.

Arabian Business reports: "The plane came down near the Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club off Emirates Road at around 3.30pm. Officials said the black box had been found and that a full investigation would be carried out by the General Civil Aviation Authority."

News reports say that the remains of all six crew members have been recovered from the accident scene. All were Sudanese nationals. The aircraft was owned by Azza Air Transport and was leased by Sudan Airways.

Condolences to the families and colleagues of those who lost their lives.

Sudan Airways Grounded

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Sudan has announced that it is suspending the Air Operator Certificate of Sudan Airways, effective from Monday, June 23, 2008. The suspension is for "an undefined period," and applies to both domestic and international operations of Sudan's national flag carrier.

Although the suspension comes less than two weeks after the crash of a Sudan Airways A310 at Khartoum, a CAA official quoted in several news reports said that the accident was not the CAA's reason for grounding Sudan Airways. Instead, the suspension is due to the carrier's failure "to undertake measures outlined by the CAA in an annual audit carried out in May of this year," said Mohamed Hassan al-Mujammar, director of safety and flight operations for Sudan's CAA. The nature of the airline's deficiencies were not specified, but a BBC News article, quoting Mr. Mujammar, cited "non-compliance with international standards."

The BBC News article reported that Sudan Airways has one month to appeal against the suspension or to carry out the necessary improvements. An article on the South African news website IOL mentioned that "the airline could be grounded permanently, if it does not comply with international security standards."

Update on Sudan Airways accident at Khartoum

More details are emerging about the Sudan Airways accident at Khartoum, which happened yesterday, June 10, 2008. According to an official from Sudan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), quoted by several news organizations, the Sudan Airways A310 aircraft (registration number ST-ATN), operating as Flight SD109, erupted into flames and veered off the runway shortly after arriving at Khartoum in poor weather.

More than 200 people were said to have been on board the flight, including 11 crew members. At this writing, 30 deaths have been confirmed, with 14 people still listed as "missing." Some of those missing were thought to have left the accident scene without reporting to authorities. Dozens of survivors were hospitalized with injuries. Several media reports mentioned that one crew member had yet to be accounted for, but CNN.com quoted a Sudanese CAA official who confirmed that all 11 crew members survived.

The flight originated in Damascus and made a scheduled intermediate stop in Amman before continuing on to Khartoum. Due to poor weather conditions at Khartoum, the aircraft diverted to Port Sudan where, some reports said, the plane was refueled and more passengers boarded. The aircraft subsequently returned to Khartoum and landed. Many news reports stated initially that the aircraft "overshot the runway," but these reports appear to be false, as official sources concur that the aircraft did land on the runway. (It is possible that the writers mistakenly used the term "overshot the runway" to describe what turned out to be a runway excursion after landing.)

Various news reports state that an engine fire broke out on the starboard side of the aircraft after it landed, and that the aircraft "veered off the runway," however there is still some confusion regarding the order of events. Some reports state that the engine fire preceded the runway excursion, while other reports seem to indicate that the fire did not occur until after the aircraft had come to a stop. What is clear is that there was a fire that ultimately engulfed the entire fuselage, and that the aircraft did leave the runway.

Videos of the accident scene: LiveLeak.com, YouTube.com

[Photo Source]

Sudan Airways crash at Khartoum

Breaking News: A passenger aircraft burst into flames shortly after arriving at Khartoum International Airport in Sudan a short time ago. The story is still unfolding, and details are still incomplete, but according to several news reports, the aircraft involved was operated by Sudan Airways. There are conflicting reports about how many crew and passengers may have been on board, and about the number and condition of those who survived the accident.

Information posted on a Sudanese news website, the Sudan Tribune, identified the aircraft as a Sudan Airways Airbus, and said that it "veered off the runway as it landed in the airport, and then burst into flames." The Sudan Tribune also reported that "The crashed plane had already tried to land at Khartoum Airport but due to the rains it had landed at Port Sudan and then resumed its flight to Khartoum."

Several news sources said that the flight had originated at Damascus, with an intermediate stop in Amman before continuing to Khartoum, where the accident occurred. According to information on the Sudan Airways website, the carrier does operate an Airbus A310 on that route every Tuesday as Sudan Airways Flight SD150.

CNN.com has posted a video of the Khartoum accident scene on its website.

Updates about this accident will be posted here on Aircrew Buzz as details become available.

Hijacked Sudan Airways jet lands safely in Khartoum

A Sudan Airways flight landed safely in Khartoum earlier today after having been hijacked by a lone man armed with a knife. The flight originated in Tripoli, Libya. News reports say that there were more than 200 passengers and crew aboard the Airbus, but no one was harmed in the incident.

According to a  report in the Washington Post, the man had asked to be flown to South Africa, but the crew convinced him to allow the plane to land in Khartoum. A Sudanese civil aviation official said that the hijacker was arrested after the aircraft landed.

"The hijacker burst into the pilot's cabin about one and a half hours from landing and told the captain he wanted to meet with the British ambassador, then he asked to meet the American ambassador and the media," Abdel Hafiz Abdel-Rahim told Reuters.

"Snipers dressed as journalists then took him into custody," he added. The plane, which was carrying 210 passengers, began its journey in Tripoli.

Police released a statement later saying the hijacker was "mentally ill" and trying to take the plane to South Africa but the pilot persuaded him to land in Khartoum.

Abdel-Rahim said the hijacker identified himself as Haloub Saeed but authorities were trying to confirm this.

An article about the hijacking, published in Business Week  identified the hijacker as Said Faloun Said, 39, a Sudanese national, and said he was traveling on a temporary travel permit.

An Al-Jazeera correspondent reported from Sudan that the hijacker originally demanded to land in Bangui, the Central African Republic capital, but was persuaded by the crew to allow the plane to land in Khartoum for refueling. Once on the ground in Khartoum, Sudanese authorities were able to take all passengers off the plane and arrest the hijacker.

The Washington Post article said that the crew even managed to land the plane on schedule at Khartoum. Bravo!!