On June 19, 2005, a Boeing 707 (registration C5-MBM) operated by Mahfooz Aviation was involved in an aviation accident near Addis Ababa-Bole, Ethiopia during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: A heavy landing caused the landing gear to separate from the aircraft, leading to a runway excursion. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
An aircraft sustained major damage after a hard landing and subsequent runway excursion during a night approach to Addis Ababa.
What happened
During a night-time approach into Addis Ababa-Bole Airport, the aircraft experienced a heavy touchdown that resulted in multiple bounces on the runway. The force of the impact caused the landing gear to detach from the airframe. Following the loss of the undercarriage, the aircraft slid for several dozen meters along the runway surface before veering toward the left side of the runway. The movement ended when the aircraft came to a complete stop off the paved surface.
There were no injuries reported among the five crew members on board, all of whom were able to evacuate the aircraft safely. However, the structural damage sustained during the landing and subsequent slide was so severe that the aircraft was declared a total loss.
Findings
The primary factor in the accident was a hard landing that triggered the subsequent mechanical failure and runway excursion.
Probable cause
A heavy landing caused the landing gear to separate from the aircraft, leading to a runway excursion.
