What happened
A flight departing from the Al-Bahariya oasis toward Cairo ended in tragedy when a twin-engine aircraft encountered deteriorating weather conditions. The plane was carrying a total of nine people, consisting of two crew members and seven passengers, including one child. During the flight, the pilot lost spatial orientation due to the worsening environment, prompting the crew to descend and attempt an emergency landing.
The aircraft performed a belly landing in a remote desert region situated roughly 100 km northeast of Al-Bahariya. While all nine occupants survived the initial impact, the wreckage could not be located by rescue operations. Consequently, every person on board succumbed to thirst several days after the crash. The remains of the plane were not discovered until June 1st, 1978, when they were found by camels.
Findings
Investigations into the incident suggest that the primary reason for the loss of orientation was the in-flight failure of multiple instruments.