What happened
During a nighttime departure from runway 30 at Tel Aviv-Lod Airport, a Boeing 707 was performing its takeoff roll when the flight crew observed an Israel Air Force Boeing KC-97G Stratotanker being moved across the active runway. As the aircraft approached V1 speed, the left wing of the Boeing 707 made contact with the stationary Boeing KC-97G Stratotanker. The impact triggered a massive fire and subsequent explosions involving both aircraft.
The incident resulted in two fatalities among the technicians working on the Stratotanker. The three crew members operating the Boeing 707 survived the accident.
Findings
Investigations into the collision identified that air traffic control had granted permission for the KC-97G technicians to cross the runway shortly after authorizing a TWA flight to depart from the same runway. The interval between these two clearances was insufficient to ensure safety. Inadequate separation provided by ATC was a primary factor, compounded by a lack of coordination and the challenges posed by low visibility during night operations.