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Ethiopian Airlines accidents and incidents

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Template:Infobox aviation Ethiopian Airlines, the national airline of Ethiopia,[1] has a good safety record, by contrast to other African airlines.[2][3][4] As of January 2014, the Aviation Safety Network records 60 accidents/incidents for Ethiopian Airlines that total 322 fatalities since 1965,[5] plus six accidents for Ethiopian Air Lines, the former airline's name.[6] Since July 1948 (1948-07), the company wrote off 36 aircraft, including three Boeing 707s, two Boeing 737s, one Boeing 767, two Douglas DC-3s, two Douglas DC-6, one de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo, two de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters, 21 subtypes of the Douglas C-47, one Lockheed L-749 Constellation and one Lockheed L-100 Hercules.

The airline's most infamous accident occurred in November 1996 (1996-11), when a hijacked Boeing 767-200ER crashed into the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the Comoros Islands, due to fuel starvation, killing 125 of the 175 passengers and crew on board. The second deadliest episode took place in January 2010 (2010-01) and involved a Boeing 737-800 that had just departed Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Lebanon; there were 90 people on board, of whom none survived. The crash of a Boeing 737-200 at Bahir Dar Airport in September 1988 (1988-09) ranks as the carrier's third deadliest accident, with 35 fatalities, out of 104 people on board.

Following is a list of accidents and incidents involving Ethiopian Airlines aircraft. It includes hijackings, events involving fatalities and/or events causing damage beyond repair to the relevant aircraft.

List

Events for Ethiopian Air Lines
Events for Ethiopian Airlines
Date Location Aircraft Tail number Aircraft damage Fatalities Description of the event Refs
22 July 1948 EthiopiaGore Douglas C-47A ET-T-5 W/O 0 Overran the wet runway at Gore Airport. [7]
10 July 1957 SudanOff Khartoum L-749 Constellation ET-T-35 W/O 0/20 The aircraft Belly landed just after it departed from Khartoum Airport, 49 kilometres (30 mi) away from the city. Due to operate the second leg of an international scheduled Athens–Khartoum–Addis Ababa passenger service as Flight 3. [8]
15 July 1960 EthiopiaOff Jimma Douglas C-47A ET-T-18 W/O 1/11 Crashed into mountainous terrain 27.5 kilometres (17.1 mi) south of Jimma. The aircraft was flying the Bulchi–Jimma route as Flight 372. [9]
5 September 1961 EthiopiaSendafar Douglas C-47A ET-T-16 W/O 5/19 Crashed south of Sendafa, following an engine malfunction while en route a domestic non-scheduled Addis Ababa–Asmara passenger service. [10][11]
13 January 1962 EthiopiaTippi Douglas C-47A ET-T-1 W/O 6 Swerved off the runway on the take-off run at Tippi Airport, and ran into a mill. Five people on board lost their lives in the accident, plus one more on the ground. The aircraft was due to operate a domestic scheduled Tippi–Jimma passenger service. [12]
30 November 1963 EthiopiaAddis Ababa Douglas C-47A ET-AAT W/O 0/3 During a test flight, the aircraft banked to the left on the takeoff run at Lideta Airfield, swerving off the runway. [13]
14 September 1965 EthiopiaGore Douglas C-47A ET-ABI W/O 17/17 Crashed when attempted to land in Gore Airport. [14]
10 April 1969 United Arab RepublicSuez Douglas C-47A ET-AAQ W/O 3/3 Was operating an Asmara International AirportCairo International Airport cargo flight on behalf of United Arab Airlines when it was shot down 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Suez while flying over a prohibited area. [15][16]: 84 [17]
13 September 1969 South YemenAden DC-6 Un­known None 1/44 An Eritrean hijacker was shot on board by an Ethiopian security official. The aircraft was en route a scheduled flight from Addis Ababa-Haile Selassie I Airport to Djibouti-Ambouli Airport, when three Eritrean hijackers belonging to the Eritrean Liberation Front hijacked the plane and forced the crew to fly to Aden International Airport. The hijackers were arrested after landing in Aden. The one shot perished later from the injuries he received. [18]
12 December 1969 GreeceAthens Boeing 707 Un­known None 2/23 A Yemeni hijacker entered the cockpit shortly after departing from Madrid to Rome, and demanded the pilots to head to Aden. The hijacker was shot dead by an official security, and later another hijacker was also shot dead at the rear of the aircraft. The plane landed safely in Athens. [19]
12 March 1970 EthiopiaAsmara DC-6B ET-AAY W/O 0/4 Caught fire after overrunning the runway on landing at Asmara International Airport. [20]
10 September 1972 EthiopiaGondar Douglas C-47D ET-ABQ W/O 11/11 Crashed near Gondar when one wing separated from the fuselage. The aircraft was some 35 minutes into the flight, operating a domestic scheduled Axum–Gondar passenger service. [21][22][23]
8 December 1972 EthiopiaAddis Ababa Boeing 720B Un­known Repaired 7/94 Seven Eritrean hijackers belonging to the Eritrean Liberation Front attempted to hijack Flight 708 on its first leg, en route a scheduled Addis Ababa–Asmara–Athens–Rome–Paris flight. After a grenade was activated while security officials opened fire at the hijackers, it exploded and damaged the rudder controls. The pilots managed to land the aircraft safely at Addis Ababa. Neither the passengers nor the crew were harmed, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. Six of the hijackers were shot dead on board, while the remaining one died in a hospital. The aircraft was later repaired. [24]
5 August 1974 EthiopiaMota Douglas C-47B ET-ABE W/O 0 Overshot the runway on landing at Mota Airport. [25]
20 November 1974 EthiopiaSodo Douglas C-47A ET-AAR W/O 2/24 Crashed on take-off from Sodo airport. Both the pilot and the copilot were killed, while 10 of the 21 passengers were injured. Due to operate a domestic scheduled Sodo–Beica passenger service. [26][27]
14 March 1975 EthiopiaLalibela Douglas C-47D ET-ABR W/O 1 Crashed when it was shot by rebels during landing at Lalibela Airport. [28]
11 September 1975 EthiopiaMota Douglas C-47D ET-ABX W/O 1/9 Crashed into Mount Choqa after the tail hit a tree on a steep climb, while it was operating a domestic scheduled passenger flight from Bahir Dar Airport to Debre Marqos Airport. [29]
13 October 1976 EthiopiaAsmara DC-6B ET-AAZ W/O 0 Suffered severe damage on the right main gear on take-off at Asmara International Airport. [30]
14 December 1976 EthiopiaOborso Douglas C-47B ET-AEJ W/O 0/8 Following the collapse of the right main gear during landing at Oborso Airport, the pilots retracted the gears, and the aircraft continued on its belly until it collided with an anthill. [31]
25 April 1977 Un­known DC-3 Un­known Un­known 3 Hijacked on a domestic flight from Mek'ele to Gondar. [32]
20 July 1977 EthiopiaTubo Milkie DC-3 ET-ABF W/O 5/5 Crashed into a mountain near Tubo Milkie on approach to Jimma Airport. [33][34]
19 November 1977 ItalyRome Boeing 707-320C ET-ACD W/O 5/5 Hit tree tops seconds after departing from Rome-Fiumicino Airport and crashed. [35][36]
12 June 1977 EthiopiaKabri Dar Douglas C-47A ET-AAP W/O 0 Left main undercarriage collapsed upon landing at Kabri Dar Airport. [37][38]: 184 
15 October 1978 EthiopiaSodo Douglas C-47B ET-AGK W/O 0/32 Engines were cut off upon touchdown at Sodo Airport, following a loss of hydraulic pressure. The airplane ended up in a drainage ditch. [39]
25 October 1978 EthiopiaDegahbur Douglas C-47A ET-AGQ W/O 0/13 The aircraft was operating a cargo service when it ground-looped upon landing at Degahbur Airport, after deceleration failed, hitting a drainage ditch, and causing the left main gear to collapse. [40]
28 January 1979 EthiopiaHaykota Douglas C-47B ET-AGP W/O 3 Crashed under unspecified circumstances. [41]
19 February 1979 EthiopiaBarentu Douglas C-47B ET-AFW W/O 5/5 Crashed following an inflight explosion of a bomb. [42]
18 March 1980 EthiopiaAddis Ababa Douglas C-47B ET-AGM W/O 0/3 Crashed on approach to Bole International Airport after hitting the roof of a house when descending too fast due to a feathered propeller. The aircraft was performing a training flight. [43][44]
11 January 1981 EthiopiaBahir Dar Douglas C-47A ET-AGW W/O 0 Experienced the collapse of its port main undercarriage on landing at Bahir Dar Airport. The airplane was operating a freighter service. [45]
7 October 1981 EthiopiaDessie Douglas C-47A ET-AHR W/O 0 The main landing gear resulted damaged during landing at Combolcha Airport. The aircraft was written off two months later after it was struck by a crashing helicopter. [46]
22 August 1982 EthiopiaMek'ele DC-3 ET-AHP W/O 0 Crashed on take off from Alula Aba Airport due to a flat tyre. [47]
22 June 1986 EthiopiaDembidolo Twin Otter 300 ET-AIQ W/O 0/20 The aircraft was operating a domestic scheduled Bole International Airport–Dembidolo Airport passenger service, when it struck trees on approach to the airport of destination, and crashed. [48]
15 September 1988 EthiopiaBahir Dar Boeing 737-200 ET-AJA W/O 35/104 Both engines ingested pigeons during take-off. The aircraft made a belly landing at the departing airport, and caught fire. Due to operate a Bahir Dar Airport–Asmara International Airport scheduled flight as Flight 604. [3][49]
8 November 1988 EthiopiaGondar DHC-5 Buffalo ET-AHI W/O 1 Following take-off from Gondar Airport, the main gear did not retract. An attempt to land ended up with the aircraft touching down 400 m (1,300 ft) ahead of the end of the runway. The aircraft came to rest after rolling almost 1,000 m (3,300 ft). The nose gear collapsed and a fire broke out on an engine. [50]
25 July 1990 EthiopiaAddis Ababa Boeing 707-320C ET-ACQ W/O 0/4 Aborted take-off after birdstrike during the take-off run. Due to operate a scheduled Addis Ababa–Asmara freighter service. [51]
25 March 1991 EthiopiaAsmara Boeing 707-320C ET-AJZ W/O 0[nb 1]/0 Destroyed by rebels at Asmara International Airport. [52]
17 September 1991 DjiboutiMount Arey L-100-30 ET-AJL W/O 4/4 A problem with the nosegear prompted the crew to return to Djibouti. The aircraft crashed into mountainous terrain when the descent was initiated too soon. [53][54]
12 March 1993 EthiopiaDire Dawa ATR-42-300 Un­known None 2/34 The aircraft was hijacked by four people while en route a domestic scheduled Gambela AirportBole International Airport service, demanding to be flown to Djibouti. The plane landed at Dire Dawa for refueling. During a six-day long period of negotiations, one hijacker attempted to escape and was shot wounded. A passenger resulted wounded and two other hijackers were killed amid a gunfire while the aircraft was stormed by security forces, and the remaining hijacker was arrested. [55]
22 October 1995 EthiopiaAddis Ababa Twin Otter 300 ET-AIO W/O 0/20 Experienced a bird strike on approach to Bole International Airport, inbound from Dessie as Flight 173. The windshields resulted damaged. The pilots made a force landing that ended up with the aircraft falling into a depression and ground looping. [56]
23 November 1996 ComorosMoroni Boeing 767-200ER ET-AIZ W/O 125/175 Flight 961 was hijacked by three hijackers while en route the second leg of a Bombay–Addis Ababa–NairobiBrazzavilleLagosAbidjan route. The hijackers instructed the pilot to fly to Australia. Instead, the pilots headed the aircraft southwards and flew it along the shore. Fuel eventually ran out and one of the engines stopped. A landing into shallow waters 500 yd (460 m) away from the shore, close to the Galawa Beach, near Moroni, was attempted. The water landing failed when the aircraft hit an unseen coral reef. Many passengers died because they inflated their life vests before leaving the flooded cabin. Among the dead was the Kenyan photojournalist Mohamed Amin, besides all of the hijackers. This crash remains the carrier's deadliest. [57][58][59][60][61][62]
9 June 2002 EthiopiaAddis Ababa Fokker 50 Un­known Un­known 2/46 While attempting to hijack Flight 113, en route from Bahir Dar to Addis Ababa, two hijackers were shot dead by the security personnel on board, and a crew member resulted with injuries. The plane landed safely at the airport of destination. [63]
25 January 2010 LebanonOff Beirut Boeing 737-800 ET-ANB W/O 90/90 Flight 409 was an international scheduled Beirut–Addis Ababa passenger service that plunged into the Mediterranean Sea 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) southwest of Rafic Hariri International Airport shortly after it took off from the airport in stormy weather. The aircraft was carrying 90 people on board —82 of them passengers—, most of them Ethiopian or Lebanese. [2][4][62][64][65][66][67][68]
17 February 2014 Switzerland Geneva Boeing 767-300 ET-AMF None 0 On 17 February 2014, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 702 flying from Addis Ababa to Rome and onwards to Milan was forced to land at Geneva airport after being hijacked while flying north over Sudan. The aircraft circled Geneva airport several times while pilots communicated with air traffic control to inquire about possibility of hijackers receiving asylum in Switzerland. Flight 702 landed with one engine and less than 10 minutes of fuel remaining. No passengers or crew were harmed and the hijacker was arrested. [69][70][71][72] [73]

Footnotes

Notes

  1. ^ There were fatalities among people who were loading the aircraft.

References

  1. ^ "Ethiopian Air Says All Crash Bodies Recovered". Airwise News. Reuters. 23 February 2010. Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Witnesses: Ethiopian plane tumbled out of sky off Lebanon". Beirut: The Star Online. 26 January 2010. Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Profile: Ethiopian Airlines". BBC News. 25 January 2010. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Ethiopian Airlines jet crashes into sea off Beirut". BBC News. 25 January 2010. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  5. ^ "Accident record for Ethiopian Airlines". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  6. ^ "Accident record for Ethiopian Air Lines". Aviation Safety Network. 28 November 2004. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  7. ^ Accident description for ET-T-5 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 30 December 2011.
  8. ^ Accident description for ET-T-35 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 30 December 2011.
  9. ^ Accident description for ET-T-18 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 30 December 2011.
  10. ^ Accident description for ET-T-16 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 16 January 2012.
  11. ^ "Brevities". Flight. 80 (2741): 489. 21 September 1961. Archived from the original on 3 July 2012. An Ethiopian Airlines DC-3 on charter to the American Coronada Petroleum Corporation crashed in jungle country east of Addis Ababa on September 5. Of the 16 passengers on board, one was killed and three, together with the stewardess, are reported missing.
  12. ^ Accident description for ET-T-1 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 1 February 2012.
  13. ^ Accident description for ET-AAT at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 23 March 2012.
  14. ^ Accident description for ET-ABI at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 20 November 2011.
  15. ^ Incident description for ET-AAQ at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 23 December 2011.
  16. ^
  17. ^ "Air transport – Crash Near Cairo". Flight International. 95 (3137): 659. 24 April 1969. Archived from the original on 24 January 2014. An Ethiopian Airlines DC-3 on charter to United Arab crashed near Cairo on the evening of April 10. The crew of three, the only occupants, were killed. The DC-3 was flying to Cairo, after refuelling at Asmara, Ethiopia, in order to pick up a wing flap for a UAA aircraft held up at Addis Ababa.
  18. ^ Hijacking description at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 30 December 2011.
  19. ^ Hijacking description at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 2 January 2012.
  20. ^ Accident description for ET-AAY at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 15 December 2011.
  21. ^ Accident description for ET-ABQ at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 21 November 2011.
  22. ^ "Accidents to public transport operators' aircraft – 1972: SCHEDULED PASSENGER FLIGHTS" (PDF). Flight International: 92. 18 January 1973. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  23. ^ "Aircraft losses" (PDF). Flight International: 355. 14 September 1972. Retrieved 29 July 2011. An Ethiopian Airlines DC-3, ET-ABQ, crashed near Gondar in the mountains of NW Ethiopia on September 10. Three crew and eight passengers were killed.
  24. ^ Hijacking description at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 25 November 2011.
  25. ^ Accident description for ET-ABE at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 16 January 2012.
  26. ^ Accident description for ET-AAR at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 15 December 2011.
  27. ^ "World news – Public transport accidents" (PDF). Flight International: 780. 5 December 1974. Retrieved 4 April 2011. A DC-3 of Ethiopian Airlines crashed on take-off from Soddu on November 20. The two crew were killed and some of the 21 passengers were injured.
  28. ^ Error! Please provide an ID.
  29. ^ Accident description for ET-ABX at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 15 December 2011.
  30. ^ Accident description for ET-AAZ at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 2 January 2012.
  31. ^ Accident description for ET-AEJ at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 2 January 2012.
  32. ^ Hijacking description at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 16 January 2012.
  33. ^ Accident description for ET-ABF at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 15 December 2011.
  34. ^ "Airline accidents" (PDF). Flight International: 308. 30 July 1977. Retrieved 4 April 2011. An Ethiopian Airlines DC-3 crashed near Jimma in south-western Ethiopia on July 21, killing the crew, and two passengers. The aircraft was completing a flight from Teppi and the pilot is reported to have complained of poor visibility.
  35. ^ Accident description for ET-ACD at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 15 December 2011.
  36. ^ "Flight safety 1977 – FATAL ACCIDENTS: FREIGHT" (PDF). Flight International: 184. 21 January 1978. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  37. ^ Incident description for ET-AAP at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 16 January 2012.
  38. ^ "Flight safety 1977 – NON-FATAL INCIDENTS: SCHEDULED FLIGHTS" (PDF). Flight International: 184 –&#32, 185. 21 January 1978. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  39. ^ Accident description for ET-AGK at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 24 January 2012.
  40. ^ Accident description for ET-AGQ at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 24 January 2012.
  41. ^ Accident description for ET-AGP at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 15 December 2011.
  42. ^ Accident description for ET-AFW at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 1 December 2011.
  43. ^ Accident description for ET-AGM at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 24 January 2012.
  44. ^ "Safety: the year so far – Non-fatal accidents/incidents: non-scheduled flights" (PDF). Flight International: 255. 26 July 1980. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  45. ^ Accident description for ET-AGW at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 30 December 2011.
  46. ^ Accident description for ET-AHR at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 16 January 2012.
  47. ^ Accident description for ET-AHP at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 16 January 2012.
  48. ^ Accident description for ET-AIQ at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 2 January 2012.
  49. ^ Accident description for ET-AJA at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 19 July 2011.
  50. ^ Accident description for ET-AHI at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 21 November 2011.
  51. ^ Accident description for ET-ACQ at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 2 January 2012.
  52. ^ Incident description for ET-AJZ at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 30 December 2011.
  53. ^ Accident description for ET-AJL at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 1 December 2011.
  54. ^ "Airline safety review – FATAL ACCIDENTS: NON-PASSENGER FLIGHTS" (PDF). Flight International: 23. 29 January 1992 – 4 February 1992. Retrieved 17 September 2011. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  55. ^ Accident description for Hijacking at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 30 December 2011.
  56. ^ Accident description for ET-AIO at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 23 December 2011.
  57. ^ Accident description for ET-AIZ at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 21 November 2011.
  58. ^ "Plane is hijacked; crashes in Ocean off east Africa". The New York Times. 24 November 1996. Archived from the original on 24 January 2014.
  59. ^ "Terror Aloft, Death at Sea". The New York Times. 1 December 1996. Archived from the original on 24 May 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  60. ^ "Air Disaster.Com: Special Report: Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961". AirDisaster.com. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  61. ^ Donald G. McNeil Jr. (26 November 1996). "At Island Plane Crash Site, Sorrow and a Souvenir Hunt". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  62. ^ a b Blomfield, Adrian (25 January 2010). "Beirut: 90 feared dead as Ethiopian Airlines plane crashes into Mediterranean". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  63. ^ Hijacking description at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 2 January 2012.
  64. ^ Accident description for ET-ANB at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 20 November 2011.
  65. ^ Simon Hradecky (27 March 2011). "Crash: Ethiopian Airlines B738 near Beirut on Jan 25th 2010, lost height after takeoff and impacted Mediterranean". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  66. ^ "Ethiopian Airlines 737 Crash near Beirut, Lebanon". AirSafe.com. 25 January 2010. Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  67. ^ Ladki, Nadim; Bayoumy, Yara (25 January 2010). "Ethiopian plane crashes off Beirut, 90 feared dead". Beirut: Reuters. Archived from the original on 10 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  68. ^ "Brit in Beirut air disaster named". The Sun. 25 January 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  69. ^ "Ethiopian Airlines flight ET-702 of 17 February 2014". Ethiopian Airlines Press Releases. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  70. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26222674
  71. ^ http://www.airlinereporter.com/2014/02/breaking-ethiopian-airlines-flight-702-squawks-hijacking-reasons-unknown/
  72. ^ "Hijacked Ethiopian plane probably flown to Switzerland for asylum". 17 February 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  73. ^ "Hijacker arrested after Ethiopian Airlines flight forced to land in Geneva". The Guardian. 17 February 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.