What happened
On the night of the accident, a Royal Jordanian flight traveling from Amman to Doha and Muscat departed Amman at 21:5-5. While operating under the control of the first officer, the Boeing 767 (identified as "The City of Petra") contacted Doha controllers approximately 45 miles from the destination at 23:08. At that time, weather reports indicated developing thunderstorms near the airfield with visibility reduced to 10 km.
The crew was cleared for a visual approach to runway 16 or an NDB/VOR approach. During the arrival, heavy rain was reported on the field, and the NDB briefly malfunctioned, likely due to a lightning strike. After completing a procedure turn, the aircraft initially attempted a landing but initiated a missed approach at 23:29 because the runway was not visible. The crew then transitioned to an ILS approach for runway 34.
During the final approach, wind conditions changed significantly, with increasing tailwind components reported by controllers. At 23:37:19, while at approximately 300 feet agl, the crew decided to execute a go-around due to difficulties maintaining the glide slope. Following the application of go-around power and the retraction of landing gear, the aircraft reached 750 feet before entering an uncontrolled descent. The aircraft struck the left edge of the runway 2050 m from the threshold with a vertical speed of 4200 ft/min. The impact caused the aircraft to bounce, roll into an inverted position, and slide into a fire station garage, where the fuselage broke into three sections. The accident resulted in 45 fatalities and 19 injuries.
Findings
The crash was primarily caused by the aircraft encountering a downburst associated with thunderstorm activity. This meteorological event produced forces that exceeded the performance capabilities of the aircraft. Additionally, the flight crew's decision to proceed with the approach despite the prevailing severe weather conditions contributed to the outcome.