What happened
A flight traveling from Sharjah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates to Khartoum International Airport in Sudan experienced a critical mechanical failure during its departure phase. The aircraft was carrying six individuals, including three flight crew members, a ground engineer, and two load masters.
Shortly after the aircraft departed the runway, the core cowls of the number four engine detached and fell onto the departure path. This structural failure caused the Engine Pressure Ratio (EPR) manifold flex line to rupture, which resulted in an incorrect reading on the cockpit's EPR indicator.
Believing that the number four engine had failed, the crew declared an engine loss and contacted the control tower to request an immediate return to the airport. During the execution of a right-hand turn, the aircraft entered a steep bank and began a continuous, rapid roll to the right. The aircraft lost altitude and struck the ground in a nearly 90-degree right wing-down position. The impact resulted in six fatalities.
Findings
The investigation identified that the separation of the engine cowls led to a ruptured manifold flex line. This mechanical failure produced erroneous engine performance data, which the crew misidentified as a total engine failure, leading to the fatal flight maneuvers.