Accident Sequence
The aircraft was cruising at an altitude of 24,000 feet on a flight from Juba to El Obeid when all four engines flamed out. The crew feathered the propellers and reduced altitude to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft struck the ground and crashed against trees.
Occupants and Injuries
Seven occupants were on board. One was seriously injured and six were killed in the impact. A few hours later, the sole survivor died from his injuries.
Fuel and Operations
The aircraft had been performing multiple round trips between Juba and El Obeid since May 9. Each trip was operated with 9,018 kilograms of fuel uplifted in El Obeid. The average fuel consumption for a round trip was 10,000 kilograms.
Crew Composition
The crew consisted of an Armenian captain and ground engineer, a Sudanese first officer, navigator, and radio operator, and an Iraqi navigator and flight engineer.
Probable Cause
The investigation identified several findings: fuel starvation due to the company's fuel planning policy; the captain's exhaustion from handling all flights during the three preceding days, combined with weather on the accident day; limited experience of some crew members, with three having not flown the AN-12 for an extended period; the Sudanese navigator's license had expired since July 2001; the Iraqi crew members lacked valid licenses and their experience on the AN-12 dated from 1994; and the aircraft's Certificate of Release to Service and Certificate of Maintenance Review had both expired on April 30, 2004.