What happened
Following a completed cargo mission from Larnaca to Muscat, the flight was performing its return leg. The departure began at night from runway 26 at Muscat-Seeb Airport. During the initial climb phase, while the aircraft was at an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet, the crew received clearance to reach 12,000 feet.
Shortly after receiving this clearance, the pilot-in-command began a left turn of 40 degrees. Roughly three minutes into the flight, the aircraft collided with the terrain at the slope of Mt Hameem, situated near Fanja, approximately 20 km southwest of the departure airport. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate, and there were four fatalities among the crew.
Findings
Investigations into the accident revealed that the flight crew performed a left turn following takeoff from runway 26. This maneuver deviated from the established procedures, which required a right-hand turn during this phase of flight.