What happened
During a local training mission, an aircraft was performing an ascent from Shallufa Airbase. While the plane had reached an altitude of approximately 2,000 feet, it suddenly entered a steep dive. The aircraft subsequently crashed in a desert region situated about 5.6 km southwest of the airfield.
The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and caused nine fatalities among the crew members on board. There were no survivors from the flight.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified a catastrophic structural failure within the tail assembly. The sequence began with intense vibrations that caused the right elevator to detach from the airframe. This was followed by the detachment of the left elevator and the subsequent loss of the rudder or tail assembly. This mechanical failure rendered the aircraft uncontrollable, leading directly to the dive and crash.
Technical inspections revealed that a required modification had not been implemented on TG602. Specifically, the installation of bolts with an increased diameter in the tail section, which was necessary for structural integrity, had been omitted for reasons that remain undetermined.