Beirut–Amman Flight Crashes Near Damascus After Fuselage Structural Failure (JY-ACQ)

Flight and Loss of Contact The aircraft departed Beirut International Airport, Lebanon, at 1955 GMT on a non-scheduled international flight to Amman, Jordan. It had been cleared to climb to and maintain flight level 135 in accordance with its submitted flight plan. At 2014 GMT, the aircraft reported to Damascus Centre over Dakweh at flight level 120, climbing to flight level 135, and estimated the Damascus beacon at 2019 GMT. When the aircraft did not report over the beacon by 2020 GMT, the Damascus Centre controller made a series of calls that were not answered. At 2035 GMT, a telephone call reported that an aircraft flying west to east was seen on fire and had crashed halfway between the Syrian border and Damascus. The subject aircraft was subsequently identified as the one involved. It had crashed at approximately 2016 GMT on a 45-degree slope of a mountain at 4,200 feet above mean sea level, on a heading of 340 degrees. The aircraft was totally destroyed, and all 54 occupants were killed.