What happened
During its cruise phase, a twin engine airplane was struck by projectiles and subsequently crashed in an unpopulated region situated approximately 3 km south of Suez. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and the deaths of all three occupants.
Reports indicate that the flight path took the aircraft over a prohibited airspace at the time of the incident. During the flight, the crew had notified air traffic control that they were unable to intercept signals from the Cairo NDB because the aircraft lacked a VOR receiver.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating without a VOR receiver, which prevented the crew from receiving specific navigational information from the Cairo NDB.
- The aircraft was shot down while traversing restricted airspace.