Aviogenex crash Libreville, Gabon 2nd April, 1977
Feb 8, 2019 11:21:07 GMT
Post by transporthistorian on Feb 8, 2019 11:21:07 GMT
Hello fellow Historians / Enthusiasts
I am currently doing some private historical research on Yugoslavian airlines and have come across the following accident:
Aviogenex TU-134A Libreville 2nd April, 1977. Reg: YU-AJS.
This is a rather mysterious crash as it was supposedly operating a cargo flight although I wasn't aware any TU-134s were ever configured for Cargo carrying!
As you can see from the ASN entry below, it would be an understatement to say that the details are more than a little sketchy!
aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19770402-0
If anyone has any more information on this incident I would be very interested.
Thanks
Update 17/11/22 - just found this on PPRUNE forum:
Besides the Rijeka crash, JJ lost another almost new one at Libreville, flying on one of their regular African freight contracts.
On 2 April 1977, YU-AJS Mostar, less than a year old, crashed on approach to Libreville Airport located in Gabon. It was a cargo flight from Belgrade, the crew failed to realize their altitude was too low when the airplane struck the ground in a Storm, and crashed in flames short of runway killing all 6 crew and 2 passengers (Loadmasters)
After fuel stops at Djerba and Kano the crew of the TU-134 flew on to Libreville Airport at first with good visibility.
Shortly before the first attempt at landing, the pilots noticed that the runway on which they wanted to land was occupied so they had to GA and hold, and that a vicious African thunderstorm had now appeared over the airfield.
A TAP 707 had made 3 attempts to land and then the Boeing 707 had backtracked down the runway.
As it turned out later, the Boeing crew had initially landed on the taxiway.
Since there was no way to turn around the 707, it was decided to change its route and so to now use the runway.
The air traffic controller did not warn the JJ crew that the runway was now occupied.
The captain of the TU-134 initiated a last moment go-around at low altitude. Under the difficult and stormy conditions due to the continuous rain pounding on the windshield, the tension and tiredness of the crew after the long flight from Europe and due to the unexpectedly necessary second approach, the captain now made unstable manual control yoke inputs and as a result of which the aircraft dropped and dipped and clipped a 60m high Baobab tree that had grown along the runway approach line and due to its enormous height was even recorded on the Libreville approach charts. The aircraft then crashed, killing all eight occupants.
A combination of crew fatigue, an unexpected missed approach, unexpected bad weather, ILS out of use, low fuel and lack of alternates.
The Flight Recorders were unable to be sent to the USSR by the Gabon/Yugoslavian Crash Investigation Team due to lack of obtaining Visas, so the FDR has never been listened to.
The Captain's son, Dragan Ostojic went on to fly as a pilot for Aviogenex, and has been a Ryanair Captain at Glasgow PIK since 1999 and lives in Ayr.
I am currently doing some private historical research on Yugoslavian airlines and have come across the following accident:
Aviogenex TU-134A Libreville 2nd April, 1977. Reg: YU-AJS.
This is a rather mysterious crash as it was supposedly operating a cargo flight although I wasn't aware any TU-134s were ever configured for Cargo carrying!
As you can see from the ASN entry below, it would be an understatement to say that the details are more than a little sketchy!
aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19770402-0
If anyone has any more information on this incident I would be very interested.
Thanks
Update 17/11/22 - just found this on PPRUNE forum:
Besides the Rijeka crash, JJ lost another almost new one at Libreville, flying on one of their regular African freight contracts.
On 2 April 1977, YU-AJS Mostar, less than a year old, crashed on approach to Libreville Airport located in Gabon. It was a cargo flight from Belgrade, the crew failed to realize their altitude was too low when the airplane struck the ground in a Storm, and crashed in flames short of runway killing all 6 crew and 2 passengers (Loadmasters)
After fuel stops at Djerba and Kano the crew of the TU-134 flew on to Libreville Airport at first with good visibility.
Shortly before the first attempt at landing, the pilots noticed that the runway on which they wanted to land was occupied so they had to GA and hold, and that a vicious African thunderstorm had now appeared over the airfield.
A TAP 707 had made 3 attempts to land and then the Boeing 707 had backtracked down the runway.
As it turned out later, the Boeing crew had initially landed on the taxiway.
Since there was no way to turn around the 707, it was decided to change its route and so to now use the runway.
The air traffic controller did not warn the JJ crew that the runway was now occupied.
The captain of the TU-134 initiated a last moment go-around at low altitude. Under the difficult and stormy conditions due to the continuous rain pounding on the windshield, the tension and tiredness of the crew after the long flight from Europe and due to the unexpectedly necessary second approach, the captain now made unstable manual control yoke inputs and as a result of which the aircraft dropped and dipped and clipped a 60m high Baobab tree that had grown along the runway approach line and due to its enormous height was even recorded on the Libreville approach charts. The aircraft then crashed, killing all eight occupants.
A combination of crew fatigue, an unexpected missed approach, unexpected bad weather, ILS out of use, low fuel and lack of alternates.
The Flight Recorders were unable to be sent to the USSR by the Gabon/Yugoslavian Crash Investigation Team due to lack of obtaining Visas, so the FDR has never been listened to.
The Captain's son, Dragan Ostojic went on to fly as a pilot for Aviogenex, and has been a Ryanair Captain at Glasgow PIK since 1999 and lives in Ayr.