Accident Overview
A flight operating from London to Kabul with multiple intermediate stops had a prolonged stopover in Beirut due to technical issues noted after the aircraft arrived from Frankfurt. The departure from Beirut was delayed by 20 hours. Two minutes after taking off from runway 18, while climbing, the aircraft struck the slope of Mount Aramoun, located approximately 5 km south of the airfield, and burst into flames.
Casualties
Three passengers sustained serious injuries. The remaining 24 occupants were killed.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation attributed the accident to a combination of factors: a navigational error in that the pilot did not initiate a right turn as early as he should have, either due to forgetfulness or distraction by an unusual occurrence; and a fire indication (or possibly a fire) in the number one engine, which prompted the pilot to start fire emergency actions, resulting in a reduction in the rate of turn and the rate of climb.