Accident
The aircraft was flying from Tunis to Oslo via Brussels, carrying 28 Jewish children from Tunisia on their way to Norway, as an intermediary stop before making aliyah, the return to Israel. After passing The Netherlands, the crew continued at an altitude of 3,000 feet. The crew was informed that weather conditions at the destination were considered good, with visibility of 12 km under the cloud layer.
Approaching Oslo from the south at 1650 LT, the crew requested a QDM bearing, which was transmitted by ATC three minutes later. Despite the presence of several cloud layers and poor visibility, the crew continued the approach and reduced altitude. The aircraft then hit the slope of a hill and crashed in a wooded area located about 8 km north of Tofte, some 32 km south of Fornebu Airport.
Search and Rescue
As all radio transmissions were interrupted and the aircraft failed to arrive, search and rescue operations were conducted. Rescuers found the wreckage two days later. On site, a young boy aged 12 was found alive and transferred to a hospital in Oslo, while all 34 other occupants were killed.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the crew took the decision to continue the approach to Oslo-Fornebu Airport in VFR mode in IMC conditions. Due to poor visibility caused by several cloud layers at 400, 750 and 900 meters, the crew was unable to distinguish the hilly terrain.