Incident Overview
During a flight from Cairo to Khartoum, at an altitude of 20,500 feet, the crew encountered a loss of hydraulic pressure. Despite this, they continued the flight and initiated the descent toward Khartoum. While completing the approach checklist, the crew found they were unable to lower the landing gear, even after activating the emergency systems.
Emergency Response
Faced with the inability to deploy the landing gear, the captain decided to execute a belly landing on a sandy area adjacent to the runway. The aircraft slid for hundreds of yards before coming to rest. All 27 occupants evacuated the aircraft safely. The aircraft, however, sustained damage beyond repair.
Probable Cause
It was determined that the failure of the support member for the starboard main gear uplock caused the gear to fall in flight, damaging hydraulic system lines.