1997 Namibia mid-air collision

On 13 September 1997, a German Air Force Tupolev Tu-154M observation aircraft and a United States Air Force Lockheed C-141B Starlifter transport aircraft struck each other mid-air while cruising at 35000 ft off the coast of Namibia. As a result of the crash, all 33 people on board both aircraft were killed and both aircraft were destroyed. At the time of the collision, the Tupolev was flying on a southbound route from Niamey, Niger, to Cape Town, South Africa, while the C-141 was heading northbound from Windhoek, Namibia, to Ascension Island.

Neither aircraft was equipped with a TCAS system, and although both crews had filed a flight plan, the German aircraft was not in contact with Namibian air traffic control at the time of the collision and controllers were unaware of its presence in Namibian airspace. Furthermore, the Tupolev was flying at the wrong altitude, according to its flight plan and to the semicircular rule.

The subsequent US Air Force inquiry concluded that the German crew was responsible for the accident, citing pilot error and inadequate air traffic control that contributed to the fatal lack of separation.

A year before the accident, the International Federation of Airline Pilots' Associations had stated that from a safety point of view, 75 percent of African airspace was "critically deficient."

Flight paths

The Luftwaffe Tu-154M departed Cologne, Germany, on 13 September 1997 and landed in Niamey, Niger, to refuel. While in Niger, the crew filed a flight plan requesting a cruise altitude of 35,000 feet with an en route climb to 39,000 feet. At 10:35 UTC, GAF 074 departed Niamey and began flying on a southerly track. While flying through Gabonese airspace, GAF 074 received a slight reroute. The aircraft changed altitude as it passed western Africa and turned in an easterly direction, in compliance with airway requirements.

At 14:11 UTC, the United States Air Force C-141B departed from Windhoek, Namibia, for Ascension Island, a British territory in the South Atlantic. Per REACH 4201's filed flight plan it was flying on a northwesterly track at a cruise altitude of 35,000 feet. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the aircraft's departure.

Collision

At 15:10 hours UTC, 65 nmi off the coast of Namibia, the two aircraft collided. The Tu-154M struck the C-141B in the lower fuselage, causing an explosion that was observed as a bright flash by a US surveillance satellite overflying the area. Cockpit voice recordings show that at least one crew member in the Tu-154M noticed the C-141B and had attempted to maneuver away, unsuccessfully. A transcript from the CVR shows that the American crew were not killed on impact. One of the pilots can be heard saying, "oxygen mask, get them on, get them on. Get the flashlights quick." In addition, a nearby French Air Force aircraft reported that it picked up one "mayday" distress call. Both aircraft crashed into the sea, ultimately killing all 33 passengers and crew aboard both airplanes.