What happened
A cargo mission originally scheduled to travel from Rotterdam to Port Harcourt, with stops in Palma de Mallorca, Tamanrasset, and Fort Lamy, underwent a route change due to documentation issues. Because the crew could not secure necessary export permits from Dutch authorities for the shipment of 3,600 machine guns, the flight path was altered to depart from Birmingham, UK, before proceeding to Spain.
While operating at cruising altitude over Cameroon, the crew experienced a loss of navigational orientation and could not confirm their exact position. As the aircraft ran out of fuel, all four engines ceased functioning. The captain initiated an emergency descent to perform a belly landing in a prairie area. During the process of contacting ground services, the aircraft broke into four separate sections before coming to a final stop.
Findings
Investigations revealed that the crew did not possess the necessary aeronautical charts required for navigating West African airspace. The primary factor leading to the incident was fuel exhaustion, which caused the total loss of engine power.