What happened
During a nighttime arrival at Cairo West Air Base, the crew of the aircraft initiated a descent following a routine flight from Ramstein Air Force Base. While executing a visual traffic pattern at an altitude of 2,000 feet, the captain performed a go-around procedure. During the subsequent left-hand turn intended to rejoin the approach path, the aircraft experienced a sudden bank and descent. The plane impacted the terrain approximately 3 km northwest of the airfield, causing the airframe to break apart upon impact.
There were 13 fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft.
Findings
Investigations into the accident revealed that meteorological conditions were favorable at the time of the crash. Furthermore, no mechanical failures or malfunctions were identified regarding the engines, onboard equipment, or the overall structural integrity of the aircraft. A significant contributing factor noted in reports was the status of the runway lighting system provided by the British Calvert System.