What happened
During an approach to In Salah Airport, the flight crew encountered severe weather conditions characterized by a significant sandstorm. As the aircraft type was on final approach, visibility became heavily restricted due to the blowing sand. While maneuvering in these low-visibility conditions, the aircraft descended below the required altitude and collided with a sand dune located before the runway threshold.
The force of the impact caused the undercarriage to be sheared from the airframe. Following the collision with the dune, the plane performed a belly landing on the sandy terrain before eventually coming to a stop. The structural damage was extensive, resulting in both engine number two and engine number three detaching from the wings during the sequence.
Despite the severity of the impact and the subsequent sliding of the fuselage, there were zero fatalities and no injuries reported among the occupants.
Findings
- The primary factor contributing to the accident was the reduced visibility caused by a sandstorm during the final approach phase.