Air Algérie Flight 6289
Encyclopedia
Air Algérie Flight 6289, a Boeing 737-200, was a scheduled passenger service of Air Algérie
between Tamanrasset, Algeria
and Algiers
, via Ghardaia
. On 6 March 2003 at 3:45 p.m. local time (1445 GMT), the flight attempted departure from the southern Algerian city of Tamanrasset. The aircraft veered off the runway
during takeoff
and crashed some 600 feet (180 m) from the centerline. Witnesses reported seeing one of the 737's engines in flames as it took off. 96 of the 97 passengers and all of the 6 crew members perished. A total of 102 people died in the accident. The sole survivor of the accident was identified as 28-year-old soldier Youcef Djillali.
The accident was caused by the loss of an engine during a critical phase of flight, the non-retraction of the landing gear after the engine failure, and the Captain, the PNF, taking over control of the airplane before having clearly identified the problem. The following factors probably contributed to the accident:
Air Algérie
Air Algérie SpA is the national flag carrier airline of Algeria, with its head office in the Immeuble El-Djazair in Algiers. With flights operating from Houari Boumedienne Airport, Air Algérie operates scheduled international services to 39 destinations in 28 countries in Europe, North America,...
between Tamanrasset, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
and Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, via Ghardaia
Ghardaïa
Ghardaïa is the capital city of Ghardaïa Province, Algeria. The commune of Ghardaïa has a population of 104,645, with 82,500 in the main city according to 2005 estimates. It is located in northern-central Algeria in the Sahara Desert and lies along the left bank of the Wadi Mzab...
. On 6 March 2003 at 3:45 p.m. local time (1445 GMT), the flight attempted departure from the southern Algerian city of Tamanrasset. The aircraft veered off the runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
during takeoff
Takeoff
Takeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle goes from the ground to flying in the air.For horizontal takeoff aircraft this usually involves starting with a transition from moving along the ground on a runway. For balloons, helicopters and some specialized fixed-wing aircraft , no...
and crashed some 600 feet (180 m) from the centerline. Witnesses reported seeing one of the 737's engines in flames as it took off. 96 of the 97 passengers and all of the 6 crew members perished. A total of 102 people died in the accident. The sole survivor of the accident was identified as 28-year-old soldier Youcef Djillali.
Causes of the Accident
Takeoff was commenced from runway 02 with the co-pilot acting as pilot-in-command. The aircraft rotated and the co-pilot ordered the gear to be raised. At that moment, at a height of 78 feet and a speed of 158 knts, the nr.1 engine suffered a turbine failure. The captain took over control of the airplane. Three seconds later the co-pilot asked if she should raise the gear, but the captain did not respond. The 737 lost speed and at seconds later the speed had dropped to 134 kts. Height at that moment was 398 ft. The aircraft stalled and crashed and broke up on rocky terrain about 1645 metres past the runway. Among the 103 people onboard, only 1 passenger survived.The accident was caused by the loss of an engine during a critical phase of flight, the non-retraction of the landing gear after the engine failure, and the Captain, the PNF, taking over control of the airplane before having clearly identified the problem. The following factors probably contributed to the accident:
- The perfunctory flight preparation, which meant that the crew were not equipped to face the situation that occurred at a critical moment of the flight;
- The coincidence between the moment the failure occurred and the request to retract the landing gear;
- The speed of the event that left the crew little time to recover the situation;
- Maintaining an inappropriate rate of climb, taking into account the failure of one engine;
- The absence of any teamwork after the engine failure, which led to a failure to detect and correct parameters related to the conduct of the flight (speed, rate of climb, configuration, etc.);
- The takeoff weight being close to the maximum with a high aerodrome altitude and high temperature;
- The rocky environment around the aerodrome, unsuitable for an emergency landing.
Passengers
| Nationality | Passengers | Crew | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78 | 6 | 84 | |
| 5 | 0 | 5 | |
| 9 | 0 | 9 | |
 GermanyGermany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Total | 97 | 6 | 103 |
See also
- List of accidents and incidents on commercial airliners