Emergency landing following hydraulic failure at Gondar Airport

1 fatality • Gondar, Ethiopia • Landing (descent or approach)

A cargo flight departing from Gondar for Addis Ababa resulted in an aircraft excursion and one fatality after a loss of hydraulic pressure prevented the landing gear from being retracted.

What happened

During a cargo operation departing from Gondar Airport bound for Addis Ababa, the aircraft experienced a critical failure of its hydraulic pressure. This malfunction rendered the crew unable to retract the landing gear following departure. Due to the inability to secure the gear, the captain initiated an emergency return to the departure airfield.

During the subsequent landing attempt, the aircraft was configured with 7° of flaps. The plane touched down approximately 400 meters beyond the runway threshold. While traveling along the runway for a distance of roughly 900 meters, the aircraft drifted off the paved surface and eventually came to a stop in a nearby ditch.

The accident resulted in one fatality among the crew members and left three others injured during the excursion.

Probable cause

The loss of hydraulic pressure prevented the retraction of the landing gear, necessitating an emergency return that ended in a runway excursion.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1988-11-08 De Havilland DHC-5 Buffalo accident near Gondar, Ethiopia?

A cargo flight departing from Gondar for Addis Ababa resulted in an aircraft excursion and one fatality after a loss of hydraulic pressure prevented the landing gear from being retracted.

Were there any fatalities in the 1988-11-08 De Havilland DHC-5 Buffalo accident?

The accident was fatal, resulting in 1 fatality.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1988-11-08 involved a De Havilland DHC-5 Buffalo, registration ET-AHI, operated by Ethiopian Airlines, at Gondar, Ethiopia.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The loss of hydraulic pressure prevented the retraction of the landing gear, necessitating an emergency return that ended in a runway excursion.

Loading the flight search…