Incident Overview
On a scheduled flight from Nicosia to Cairo, Flight 749 departed at 15:49. Adverse weather conditions prevailed along the route, and the destination weather was deteriorating. The crew contacted Misrair Operations to discuss possible diversion airports, including Alexandria, Port Said, and El Arish. During the flight, the crew reported flying through a thunderstorm with turbulence and icing. The aircraft experienced multiple technical problems: one altimeter indicated 24,000 feet while the other showed 25,000 feet, the magnetic compass was unserviceable, and a cockpit window panel had cracked due to the thunderstorm.
Approach and Accident
Despite the difficulties, the flight continued toward Cairo. The crew was cleared for a runway 23 approach and landing. However, no further communication was received. The aircraft subsequently crashed and caught fire approximately 5 kilometers from the runway.
Probable Cause
According to the investigation, the accident resulted from the aircraft descending below the safe flight altitude during the final approach, causing the port wing to strike sand dunes northeast of the aerodrome. This led to a loss of control and ground impact. It is probable that the descent below the safe level was due to the pilot's transition from instrument flight rules (IFR) to visual flight rules (VFR), requiring adaptation time that was not available given the prevailing weather conditions.