What happened
During a night-time positioning flight traveling from Kiev to Khartoum, an aircraft encountered a significant fuel deficiency. The flight path included a scheduled stop in El Alamein, Egypt. While operating in the cruise phase, the crew notified Air Traffic Control that the aircraft was running low on fuel.
In an effort to reach safety, the crew attempted an emergency descent into a desert region situated approximately 50 km east of El Alamein Airport. The aircraft performed a belly landing on the desert surface, sliding for several dozen meters before the airframe broke into two separate pieces. Despite the structural failure of the aircraft, no fire broke out during the impact.
All six crew members successfully evacuated the wreckage and were reported to be uninjured. While the occupants escaped safely, the aircraft was determined to be a total loss and was damaged beyond repair.
Findings
Preliminary reports indicate that the necessity for the emergency landing was driven by a fuel shortage. This depletion of fuel was likely the result of encountering strong headwinds throughout the duration of the flight.