No fatalities

1978-07-21: Britten-Norman Islander (5T-MAT) — Mauritanian Air Force - Force Aérienne Islamique de Mauritanie — Laâyoune, Western Sahara

Laâyoune, Western SaharaFlight

On July 21, 1978, a Britten-Norman Islander (registration 5T-MAT) operated by Mauritanian Air Force - Force Aérienne Islamique de Mauritanie was involved in an aviation accident near Laâyoune, Western Sahara in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft was likely struck by ground fire during a military operation. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 5 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781226403Data APIEditorial standards

An unidentified aircraft crashed in the Western Sahara region, possibly near Laayoune, during a military operation.

What happened

During an active military engagement against Polisario Front rebels, an unidentified aircraft went down in the Western Sahara territory. The incident occurred within a zone potentially encompassing the area surrounding Laayoune. While the exact sequence of events remains unconfirmed, the aircraft was reportedly involved in combat operations at the time of the crash.

Findings

Preliminary reports suggest that the aircraft may have been brought down by ground-based fire. Despite the loss of the airframe, there were no casualties reported in relation to this specific incident.

Probable cause

The aircraft was likely struck by ground fire during a military operation.