Incident Overview
The aircraft was operating a special flight from Khartoum, Sudan, to Tunis, Tunisia, carrying ten passengers, including Yasser Arafat, the head of the Palestinian Liberation Organization. During the flight, weather conditions deteriorated as the aircraft encountered a sandstorm. The crew lost their orientation while navigating through the sandstorm. Due to a resulting fuel shortage, the crew attempted an emergency landing.
Crash
The aircraft crashed in a desert area approximately 100 kilometers southeast of Al Sarah (also known as Majin al Ma`sarah). Upon touchdown, the aircraft lost its undercarriage and both engines before coming to rest. The wreckage then burst into flames.
Aftermath
All ten passengers were successfully rescued from the crash site. However, the three crew members sustained fatal injuries and were killed.