2011 Royal Moroccan Air Force C-130 crash
 A Moroccan Air Force C-130H Hercules. | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 26 July 2011 |
| Summary | Structural failure below 500 feet |
| Site | Guelmim, Morocco |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Lockheed C-130 Hercules |
| Operator | Royal Moroccan Air Force |
| Registration | CNA-OQ |
| Flight origin | Dakhla Airport |
| Stopover | Guelmim |
| Destination | Kenitra Air Base |
| Passengers | 11 civilian, 60 military |
| Crew | 9 |
| Fatalities | 80 (all) |
| Survivors | 0 (3 initially) |
On 26 July 2011, a Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft operated by the Royal Moroccan Air Force crashed near Guelmim, Morocco.[1] A statement by Moroccan authorities reported that there were 78 fatalities and that the plane was carrying 60 members of the Moroccan Armed Forces, 12 civilians, and nine RMAF crew members. Three injured survivors were rescued,[2] but eventually died of their injuries.[3] The number of fatalities was later revised to 80 when it was discovered that a passenger who had not boarded the plane had been mistakenly included in the total.[3]
Workers have recovered the bodies of 42 victims.[1] The aircraft has been identified as CNA-OQ, a C-130H built in 1981.[4] It was travelling from Dakhla Airport in the Western Sahara to Kenitra Air Base, with a scheduled stop-over in Guelmim.[1] The aircraft crashed into Sayyert Mountain approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Guelmin.[5]
Authorities are investigating bad weather as a potential cause. It was the deadliest aviation accident of 2011, and Morocco's worst military aviation disaster.[5]
King Mohammed VI announced three days of national mourning following the crash.[5]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Morocco military plane crash kills 78". BBC News Online. 26 July 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ^ "Plane crash kills 78 in Morocco". CNN. 26 July 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ^ a b "80 dead in Moroccan military plane crash". The Daily Telegraph. 26 July 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
- ^ "Picture of crash site" Daily Mail
- ^ a b c "Morocco Military Plane Crash Kills 80, No Survivors" Archived 28 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine by Omar Brouksy Jakarta Globe. 27 July 2011
External links