What happened
Approximately 20 minutes after departing from Aden Airport, the aircraft was cruising at an altitude of 6,000 feet when a sudden mid-air explosion occurred. The force of the blast caused the plane to break apart in flight before falling into a desert region within Wādī Rabţah. Search teams located the wreckage several hours after the incident.
The crash site was situated roughly 140 km east of the flight path between Aden and Maifa'a, positioned northeast of Ahwar. There were 30 fatalities recorded, as none of the passengers or crew survived the impact.
Findings
Investigations into the destruction of the aircraft concluded that the event was triggered by the detonation of an explosive device. This device had been placed inside a piece of luggage located in the left-side baggage compartment, situated directly above the left wing. While the incident has been identified as an act of sabotage, the identity of the perpetrator and the underlying motive for the attack have not been established.