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1979 Interflug Ilyushin Il-18 crash

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Airplane crash in Luanda, Angola
1979 Interflug Ilyushin Il-18 crash
An Interflug Il-18, similar to the one involved in the crash
Accident
DateMarch 26, 1979 (1979-03-26)
SummaryOvershoot runway due to engine failure and pilot error
SiteQuatro de Fevereiro Airport, Luanda, Angola
8°52′41″N 13°12′42″W / 8.87806°N 13.21167°W / 8.87806; -13.21167
Aircraft
Aircraft typeIlyushin Il-18D
OperatorInterflug
RegistrationDM-STL
Flight originQuatro de Fevereiro Airport, Luanda, Angola
DestinationLusaka International Airport, Lusaka, Zambia
Passengers6
Crew4
Fatalities10
Survivors0

On 26 March 1979, an Ilyuishin-18 crashed during takeoff from Quatro de Fevereiro Airport in Luanda, Angola, killing all ten people on board.

Background

When Angola gained independence in 1975, power was in the hands of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MLPA), which was supported by the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc. The Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), which fought for the abolition of apartheid in Southern Rhodesia, also enjoyed the support of communist countries. For the planned ZAPU offensive, heavy weapons were delivered to the port of Luanda from East Germany by sea, which were planned to be further transported by air to Lusaka, Zambia, which bordered Southern Rhodesia (their government also supported ZAPU). As TAAG Angola Airlines could not transport these deliveries, an Il-18 cargo aircraft from Interflug was chartered instead, which was supposed to carry a total of 500 tons of weapons. Because the transportation of such cargo was prohibited by international agreements, the operation was carried out in secrecy. The plane arrived in Luanda, where the crew and technical staff were supposed to stay until the mission was completed.

Aircraft and crew

The aircraft was an Ilyushin Il-18D (registered as DM-STL) that was built and delivered to Interflug in 1966 as a passenger aircraft. In 1974, it was converted into a freighter.

The crew consisted of captain Dieter Hartmann (44), first officer Jochen Wilsdorf (29), navigator Horst Umlauft (45), and flight engineer Frank-Rolf John (35).

Accident

The aircraft took off with a take-off weight of 60.5 tons. 56 seconds into the takeoff roll, engine #2 failed. The takeoff was rejected, but there was insufficient runway remaining. The aircraft overran the end of the runway at high speed, collided with the instrument landing system antennas and burst into flames. All 10 people on board were killed.

Investigation

The investigation was carried out by the airline led by Interflug's CEO, Klaus Henckes. The commission found that the decision to abort the takeoff was inappropriate, since the aircraft had aborted its takeoff after V1 at 145 knots (269 km/h; 167 mph). The V1 speed of the accident flight was 120 knots (220 km/h; 140 mph), but the takeoff was aborted at 268 kilometres per hour (145 kn; 167 mph). Captain Hartmann attempted to rotate the aircraft despite the failure, but then rejected the takeoff, presumably concerned that the engines would not provide enough thrust.

Aftermath

Due to the classified nature of the cargo, Angola's report to ICAO stated that the aircraft was carrying humanitarian aid.

The Socialist Unity Party of Germany decided to continue the cargo transfer operation and sent another Ilyushin Il-18 (registration DM-STP) on 2 April 1979.

References

  1. ^ "DM-STL" (in German). Archived from the original on 2018-12-11. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
  2. "Карточка самолёта: Ильюшин · Ил-18Д · DM-STL (зав.н. 186009402)" [Aircraft card: Ilyushin Il-18D DM-STL (serial number 186009402)]. russianplanes.net (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2018-02-13. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  3. Billig, Detlef; Meyer, Manfred (2002). Flugzeuge der DDR [GDR aircraft] (in German). Vol. 1. TOM Modellbau. p. 187. ISBN 9783613021976.
  4. "Crash of an Ilyushin II-18D in Luanda: 10 killed". www.baaa-acro.com. Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  5. Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Ilyushin Il-18D DM-STL Luanda-4 de Fevereiro Airport (LAD)". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Archived from the original on 2013-07-20. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
  6. Yakubovich, N. V. (2013). Все самолеты Ильюшина. Самая полная энциклопедия [All Ilyushin aircraft. The most complete encyclopedia] (in Russian). Moscow: Eksmo. p. 146. ISBN 978-5-699-65600-4.
Aviation accidents and incidents in 1979 (1979)
Jan 30 Varig Flight 967Feb 12 Air Rhodesia Flight 827Feb 17 Air New Zealand Flight 4374Mar 14 Alia Flight 600Mar 17 Aeroflot Flight 1691Mar 26 Interflug Ilyushin Il-18 crashMar 29 Quebecair Flight 255Apr 4 TWA Flight 841Apr 23 SAETA Flight 011May 25 American Airlines Flight 191May 30 Downeast Airlines Flight 46Jun 17 Air New England Flight 248Jun 20 American Airlines Flight 293Jul 11 Garuda Fokker F28 crashJul 26 Lufthansa Cargo Flight 527Jul 31 Dan-Air Flight 0034Aug 11 Dniprodzerzhynsk mid-air collisionAug 29 Aeroflot Flight 5484Sep 14 Aero Trasporti Italiani Flight 12Oct 7 Swissair Flight 316Oct 31 Western Airlines Flight 2605Nov 11 Manises UFO incidentNov 15 American Airlines Flight 444Nov 26 Pakistan International Airlines Flight 740Nov 28 Air New Zealand Flight 901Dec 18 Mosfellsheiði air crashesDec 23 Turkish Airlines Ankara crash
1978   ◄    ►   1980
Aviation accidents and incidents in Angola
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
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