Investigation Summary
The flight was a multi-leg journey from Salisbury to London, known as the 'Zambezi' service. A relief crew had taken over the aircraft at Entebbe for the sector to Benghazi, with intermediate refueling stops at Khartoum and Wadi Halfa. The flight was proceeding without incident and was slightly ahead of its scheduled arrival time for the Benghazi leg. At 01:12 GMT, the crew was cleared into the Benina control zone. The pilot requested and received permission for a direct approach to runway 33R using locator and responder beacons. Within 30 seconds of acknowledging this clearance, the aircraft struck high ground at an elevation that should have been cleared had the pilot maintained the proper approach profile. The wreckage was consumed by a post-impact fire. The investigation focused heavily on the three-pointer altimeter design, which was notorious for being difficult to read quickly, especially for fatigued pilots operating at night in poor visibility.
Final Conclusions
The official investigation determined the cause was the pilot's descent below the correct height during an approach in cloud, leading to an impact with high ground. The most probable reason for this premature descent was a misinterpretation of the altimeter reading. Contributing factors included pilot fatigue and a 'slight indisposition' that may have reduced the captain's operational efficiency.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
The reported total hours (9,158) match the airframe hours in official digests; while statistically unusual, it is the figure recorded in the ICAO Accident Digest.
Copilot
Systems & Failure Modes
Altimeter
The primary instrument for altitude awareness, which investigators believe was misread by the pilot.
Responder Beacon
Ground-based navigation aid used by the crew to coordinate their direct approach to runway 33R.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was a Vickers Viscount 748D named 'Mpika'.
- 02The accident was the deadliest in Libya's history at the time it occurred.
- 03There were 18 survivors among the 54 occupants.
- 04The crash occurred approximately 5.5 miles (9 km) from the runway threshold.
- 05The flight was known as the 'Zambezi service', a low-cost alternative to BOAC flights.
- 06Of the 7 crew members, 4 were killed and 3 survived.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Altimeter Design Review
The accident contributed to industry-wide concerns regarding the 'three-pointer' altimeter, leading to later designs that made the 10,000-foot and 1,000-foot needles more distinct to prevent misinterpretation.