What happened
During a nighttime approach to Tripoli Airport under conditions of limited visibility, the flight crew struggled to identify the runway. The captain initiated a go-around procedure on three separate occasions after being unable to establish visual contact with the landing strip.
On the fourth attempt to land, the aircraft descended below the established glide path. During this maneuver, the plane struck trees and crashed approximately 1,200 yards before reaching runway 11. The impact resulted in the destruction of the aircraft and caused 15 fatalities, including two crew members and 13 passengers. While several other occupants sustained injuries, they survived the accident.
Findings
Official investigations concluded that the accident was driven by a pilot error in judgment. After three unsuccessful attempts to align with runway 11, the captain's focus on maintaining visual contact with the runway lights compromised his flight path management. In the low-visibility environment, the crew relied too heavily on the runway lights for orientation rather than monitoring flight instruments. This reliance led to a failure to recognize that the aircraft had descended below the necessary approach altitude and angle.