What happened
A medical repatriation flight was operating an international mission from Geneva-Cointrin to Accra, with a scheduled stop in Zarzaitine for a crew change and patient transfer. The flight was carrying two pilots and two doctors, with the intent to transport a patient back to London via Geneva.
During the nighttime arrival at Zarzaitine-In Amenas Airport, air traffic control notified the crew that runway 23 was the active runway. The flight crew transitioned to a circuit pattern to align with this runway. While performing the final approach under conditions of low visibility, the aircraft impacted the crest of a sand dune. The impact caused the undercarriage to be ripped from the airframe, leading to a crash landing approximately 3 km before reaching the runway threshold. The subsequent impact triggered a fire that resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft.
Findings
The accident resulted in one serious injury to the captain and one minor injury to the female copilot, while both medical personnel escaped the wreckage without harm. The primary factor in the accident was the failure to maintain sufficient altitude during the final approach in dark, low-visibility conditions.