What happened
While operating at 20,500 feet during a flight from Cairo to Khartoum, the aircraft experienced a significant loss of hydraulic pressure. Despite this mechanical issue, the crew proceeded with the mission and began their descent toward the destination airport.
During the execution of the approach checklist, the flight crew discovered that the landing gear could not be extended. Efforts to deploy the gear using emergency procedures were unsuccessful. Faced with the inability to secure a standard landing, the captain opted to perform a belly landing on a sandy area adjacent to the runway. The aircraft slid for several hundred yards across the terrain before coming to a complete stop.
Although the aircraft sustained damage that rendered it a total loss, there were no casualties. All 27 occupants were successfully evacuated from the plane without injury.
Findings
Investigations revealed that the primary cause of the incident was the failure of a support member for the starboard main gear uplock. This structural failure allowed the landing gear to collapse while the aircraft was still in flight, which subsequently severed hydraulic system lines.