5 fatalities

1979-02-19: Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) (ET-AFW) — Ethiopian Airlines — Barentu, Eritrea

Barentu, EritreaFlight

On February 19, 1979, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) (registration ET-AFW) operated by Ethiopian Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Barentu, Eritrea in flight. 5 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: An explosive device detonated inside the aircraft during the cruise phase of flight. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781225552Data APIEditorial standards

A cargo flight disappeared from radar during cruise, resulting in the loss of all five people on board after an onboard explosion.

What happened

During a scheduled cargo operation, an unidentified aircraft vanished from radar tracking while maintaining its cruising altitude. Following the loss of contact, search efforts located the wreckage within a desert region situated near Barentu. There were no distress signals transmitted by the crew before the aircraft went offline.

The crash resulted in five fatalities, with no survivors reported among the occupants. The debris field was recovered in the remote desert landscape, marking the end of the flight's trajectory.

Findings

Official investigations concluded that the destruction of the aircraft was caused by an onboard bomb explosion while the plane was in flight.

Probable cause

An explosive device detonated inside the aircraft during the cruise phase of flight.