What happened
On a cargo mission traveling from Al Asad AFB to Baghdad, a four-engine aircraft was transporting supplies for allied forces in Iraq. During the flight, while maintaining an altitude of 9,000 feet, the number two engine experienced a failure and ignited a fire.
In response to the emergency, the crew initiated a descent to find a suitable landing site. However, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent before impacting the ground in a desert area situated 22 km southeast of Al-Taqaddum AFB. The impact resulted in the aircraft bursting into flames. There were seven fatalities among the crew members on board.
Findings
- The primary factor leading to the crash was an engine fire caused by the failure of the number two engine.