What happened
On a scheduled flight from Addis Ababa to Abidjan, which included stops in Nairobi, Brazzaville, and Lagos, a hijacking occurred approximately twenty minutes after takeoff. Three individuals entered the cockpit, claiming to have a bomb and asserting that eleven hijackers were on board. The hijackers physically assaulted the crew, forcing the First Officer out of the cockpit, and seized flight equipment including a fire axe and extinguisher. The hijackers demanded the pilot fly to Australia, ignoring the pilot's warnings regarding insufficient fuel and his request to divert to Mombasa for refueling.
As the Boeing 767 progressed past Dar es Salaam, the hijackers ordered the aircraft to maintain an altitude of FL390 and fly away from the coast. During the flight, the lead hijacker interfered with the flight controls, manipulating the rudder, ailerons, and reverse thrust levers. As the aircraft approached the Comoros Islands, a low fuel caution was triggered. At 11:41 UTC, the right engine began to lose power, eventually reaching windmilling speed. The pilot attempted to notify passengers of the impending crash via the intercom, but was interrupted by the hijackers.
Following the failure of the right engine, the pilot attempted to descend to maintain airspeed, but hijacker interference caused the autopilot to disconnect and led to erratic flight characteristics. Shortly after, the left engine also failed due to fuel exhaustion. While the crew and cabin staff worked to prepare passengers by deflating life jackets and instructing them on the brace position, the aircraft descended toward the Indian Ocean. The aircraft struck the water in a left-wing-low attitude, resulting in the airframe breaking into four sections. Of the 175 people on board, 125 individuals, including 6 crew members and 119 passengers, were fatally injured.
Findings
- The primary cause of the engine failures was the total exhaustion of fuel.
- Hijacker interference with the flight controls prevented stable descent and led to erratic airspeed and altitude.
- The aircraft's structural integrity failed upon impact with the water, causing the fuselage to break apart.