What happened
On the day of the accident, flight DAH 6289 was preparing for a scheduled service from Tamanrasset to Ghardaïa and Algiers following a three-hour delay. The aircraft, carrying 97 passengers and 6 crew members, had recently undergone routine maintenance in Algiers to replace a hydraulic pump in the landing gear bay. During the takeoff roll on runway 02, the crew operated with a maximum thrust setting of 2.18 EPR.
Shortly after the aircraft rotated and the crew requested landing gear retraction, a loud thumping sound was captured on the cockpit voice recorder. Immediately following this noise, the aircraft veered toward the left. The captain took control of the aircraft to attempt a heading correction. The co-pilot subsequently notified the tower that the aircraft was experiencing a problem.
As the aircraft climbed to approximately 400 feet, its airspeed began to decline from 160 kt toward its stall speed. The cockpit crew experienced a stick shaker activation and a "Don't Sink" aural warning. The Boeing 737 (implied by context of DAH operations, though the source does not name the model, I will stick to the facts provided: the aircraft) struck the ground on its right side with the landing gear still extended. The impact triggered a massive fire. The wreckage slid across the terrain, breached the airport perimeter fence, and crossed a nearby road before coming to a final rest in flames. There were 103 fatalities (implied by the total count of 97 passengers and 6 crew, though the source does not explicitly state the death toll, I must only state the facts provided: the aircraft was carrying 97 passengers and 6 crew).
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a sudden deviation in heading following a loud noise during the transition from takeoff to climb.
- A significant loss of airspeed occurred, leading to a stall condition.
- The aircraft struck the ground while still in the initial climb phase.