Air Algérie accident near Aïn Naga

In the Air Algérie accident near Aïn Naga, on 26 July 1969 a Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle VI-N of Air Algérie on an international charter flight from Marseille to Hassi Messaoud with an intermediate stop in Algiers crashed as a result of a loss of control after a fire had broken out on board and the pilots attempted an emergency landing. 35 (according to other sources 33) of the 37 people on board were killed in the accident.

Accident sequence

While the aircraft was flying over the Aurès Massif, fire and smoke developed in the cockpit. The pilots therefore initially intended to fly the aircraft to Biskra Airport for an emergency landing. After the flight engineer had extended the landing gear, he tried to shut down the engines, but was able to shut down only one engine. The crew decided to make an emergency landing as close as possible to an oasis. The aircraft was to be set down after an eight-minute emergency descent. The pilots avoided the bed of a wadi and set the aircraft down not far from the town of Aïn-Naga, about forty kilometres east-southeast of Biskra. The Caravelle caught fire and exploded a moment after it touched the ground.

After the accident

Shortly after the aircraft had lost contact with the air traffic control centre in Algiers, help was directed to the accident site. Two passengers, who had presumably tried to leave the aircraft through an emergency exit after the emergency landing, were found dead near the wreckage. The Algerian Ministry of Transport praised the level-headedness of the pilot and the co-pilot, who were injured and admitted to hospital in Algiers.

Accident investigation and cause

The accident investigation was conducted by representatives of the Algerian civil aviation authority, by representatives of Air Algérie and by experts from Bureau Veritas. The investigators were very soon able to rule out incapacitation of the crew and a failure of elements of the aircraft controls. The investigation found that a short circuit in the cockpit had forced the crew to make an emergency landing. According to statements by the captain and the first officer, who were the only ones (according to other sources, together with two other crew members) to have survived the accident, the fire had broken out after a short circuit in the rear part of the cockpit just as the aircraft was flying over the Aurès Massif.