What happened
On the day of the accident, a Middle East Airlines flight, operating a Vickers Viscount with registration OD-ADE, was performing a descent toward Ankara-Esenboğa Airport. The aircraft was cleared for an approach to runway 03 and had recently reported its position over the Ankara NDB at 8000 feet, intending to descend to 6500 feet.
Simultaneously, a Turkish Air Force Douglas C-47 transport plane, registration CBK-28, was returning to Etimesgut Air Base following an instrument training mission. The C-47 was operating under visual flight rules (VFR) after completing its maneuvers in the Gölbasi region.
As the Viscount proceeded on a heading of 283°, it struck the C-47, which was traveling on a heading of 243°. The collision occurred at an altitude below 7000 feet. The right side of the Viscount's nose and its starboard wing impacted the port side door area of the C-47 from behind at a 40° angle. During the impact, the Viscount's number 3 propeller severed the C-47's left horizontal stabilizer, while the number 4 propeller damaged the right horizontal stabilizer tip. The structural damage caused the tail unit of the C-47 to separate, leading to its immediate vertical descent.
The collision also caused a section of the Viscount's fuselage skin to break away near the passenger windows. Following the separation of the two aircraft, both planes crashed into a residential district of Ankara. The accident resulted in 87 fatalities on the ground and 50 serious injuries.
Findings
Investigations into the collision identified several contributing factors:
- The crew of the Viscount failed to observe the C-47, which was positioned to their forward right.
- The pilot of the Viscount committed a navigational error regarding the estimated time and distance between the Gölbasi beacon and the Ankara NDB.
- The Viscount was operating under IFR flight plan parameters while cruising in VFR conditions, leading to the high-speed interception of the slower C-47.
- Radio communication procedures used by the Viscount did not adhere to standard international protocols.