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5 fatalities

Four-Engine Aircraft Overrun and Crash in Military Zone (S9-SVN)

Luxor, EgyptTakeoff (climb)

On February 20, 2009, an Antonov AN-12 (registration S9-SVN) operated by Aerolift was involved in an aviation accident near Luxor, Egypt during takeoff. 5 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The official findings identified a lack of available thrust corresponding to only two engines running during the takeoff run, a lack of authorized maintenance of the aircraft, and uncoordinated crew actions in the critical situation. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-11Data APIEditorial standards

A four-engine aircraft overran runway 02 after takeoff, crossing a service road and crashing into a military zone. The aircraft was destroyed, and the crew was killed.

Incident Overview and Flight Details A four-engine aircraft was being transferred from Kisangani to Mykolaiv, Ukraine, for maintenance purposes. The flight plan included two enroute stops at Entebbe and Luxor. During the takeoff phase, the crew received clearance for takeoff and initiated the roll on runway 02. The aircraft failed to achieve liftoff and continued rolling to the end of the runway. It then drifted right off the centerline, crossing a service road and entering a military zone located 500 meters from the runway end. The aircraft struck a building within the military unit, causing its complete destruction. The right wing also impacted another building, which ignited the aircraft and forced it to turn right. The aircraft continued moving forward until it stopped at the military unit fence near the Tiba-Luxor road, striking an oil barrel along the way. The accident resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and the fatalities of all crew members, with no other injuries reported.

Probable cause

The official findings identified a lack of available thrust corresponding to only two engines running during the takeoff run, a lack of authorized maintenance of the aircraft, and uncoordinated crew actions in the critical situation. Both pilots had previously served as captains. The lack of coordination was confirmed by braking trails left by the main landing gear at the end of runway 02. According to FCOM instructions for a rejected takeoff attempt, the crew was required to set the throttles to idle, lower the nose gear to reach the runway, and use the propellers for braking by releasing them from the stops. Additionally, they were to use nose wheel steering, wheel brakes, and emergency braking if needed to reduce roll and maintain direction. The crew did not perform any of these procedures except for using the main wheel brakes.

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Same operator

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