What happened
During a nighttime flight at an altitude of 20,000 feet, an aircraft traveling over the Sahara Desert experienced a mid-air disintegration. The incident occurred in the eastern region of Algeria, near the border with Libya. Due to the sudden nature of the structural failure, the crew was unable to transmit any distress signals before the impact.
The wreckage was distributed across a large expanse of terrain situated between Zarzaïtine, Algeria, and Ghadamès, Libya. The crash resulted in 78 fatalities, with no survivors among the occupants. The flight crew and cabin staff were all lost in the accident.
Findings
Official investigations concluded that the destruction of the aircraft was likely caused by an act of sabotage involving a nitrocellulose-based explosive device. While the use of an explosive was identified as the primary factor, the identity of those responsible and the specific motives behind the attack have not been determined.