What happened
On the morning of the accident, East African Airways flight EC-7CO, a Vickers VC10, departed Nairobi for London with stops in Addis Ababa and Rome. After a scheduled stop in Addis Ababa to exchange passengers and cargo, the aircraft prepared for its next leg. During the taxiing process, the pilot notified air traffic control of bird carcasses on the runway, prompting the dispatch of a fire truck for removal.
At 09:38:40 hours, the flight was cleared for takeoff. As the aircraft accelerated past the runway midpoint and approached V1 speed, the nose wheel encountered a steel jacking pad left over from a previous Cessna 185 departure. This object punctured the right-hand nose wheel tire, causing a loud noise and intense vibrations throughout the airframe. The flight crew initiated an aborted takeoff procedure by reducing thrust and applying reverse thrust.
During the deceleration, the aircraft began to veer toward the right side of the runway. Shortly after, the number one rear main tire also burst. As the plane approached the end of the runway, it drifted left and crossed a storm drain at a right angle to the centerline. Upon exiting the runway embankment, the aircraft became momentarily airborne and the left outer wing struck a steel lattice tower used for the runway 25 approach lighting system. This impact ruptured the number 1A fuel tank, leading to immediate ignition of the fuel.
The aircraft fell approximately 10.6 meters onto the ground below the runway level. The impact caused the airframe to break apart, and the wreckage subsequently caught fire. There were 0 fatalities and no injuries reported among the passengers or crew.
Findings
Investigations determined that the accident resulted from a partial loss of braking effectiveness caused by the improper reassembly of a component within the braking system. This mechanical failure prevented the aircraft from stopping within the available emergency distance following the decision to abandon the takeoff.