What happened
While operating a flight from Benghazi, the crew of a Boeing 727 was granted permission to begin their descent toward Tripoli Airport. To accommodate military aircraft in the area, air traffic controllers directed the airliner to maintain a holding pattern over the Papa Echo beacon, situated 4.1 DME from the threshold of runway 27.
During this holding phase at an altitude of 3,000 feet, the Boeing 727 collided with a Libyan Air Force MiG-23 that had recently departed from Tripoli Airport. The impact occurred when the fighter jet struck the rear section of the airliner. The collision caused the tail to separate from the aircraft, forcing the remaining fuselage into a dive. The plane crashed approximately 9 km from the airport. The accident resulted in 157 fatalities among the occupants of the airliner, while the two pilots of the fighter aircraft successfully ejected from their plane.
Findings
- The collision occurred while the airliner was performing a holding pattern at 3,000 feet.
- The impact of the fighter jet with the aircraft's tail led to the structural failure and subsequent crash.