What happened
A cargo flight departing from Khartoum Airport for Heglig arrived at its destination carrying 13 tons of freight and a crew of four. During the final approach phase to Heglig Airport, the four-engine aircraft descended below the required altitude. The plane struck obstacles and a concrete block containing part of the approach lighting system approximately 16 meters before reaching the runway threshold.
Following this initial impact, the aircraft bounced and settled in a nose-down position, traveling an additional 52 meters before striking the ground nose-first. As the aircraft continued along a path of 183 meters, the right main gear tire suffered a burst. During the subsequent maneuvers, the captain requested the activation of reverse thrust; however, the flight engineer failed to verify the power lever positions. This led to the aircraft veering toward the left side of the runway, where it lost its left main landing gear and eventually came to a stop. There were zero fatalities among the four crew members, though the aircraft was determined to be a total loss.
Findings
The investigation identified that an incorrect approach configuration caused the aircraft to impact the ground short of the runway. Specific mechanical and procedural issues included:
- Improper propeller unlocking procedures by the flight engineer regarding specific throttle positions for engines I, II, III, and IV.
- Failure to repair cracks in the nose wheel and main landing gear as previously advised by the manufacturer.