Investigation Summary
The flight departed Benghazi for Cairo but encountered heavy cloud cover and strong winds. Navigational equipment issues and a 9-degree track divergence led the crew to cross the Gulf of Suez into the Sinai Peninsula, which was then under Israeli occupation. Israeli radar detected the unidentified aircraft heading toward the Bir Gafgafa airbase. Two F-4 Phantom IIs intercepted the Boeing 727 and attempted to communicate via hand signals and wing rocks. The French captain, confused by the presence of the fighters and believing he was near Cairo, ignored the signals to land. After the airliner turned back toward the west and began to climb, the Israeli pilots, authorized by the IDF Chief of Staff, fired 20mm cannons into the wing root, causing a fire and hydraulic failure. The aircraft attempted an emergency landing in the desert but struck a sand ridge and flipped.
Final Conclusions
The ICAO investigation concluded that the primary cause was the navigational error by the flight crew, compounded by the Israeli military's decision to use lethal force against a civilian airliner. The crew's inability to interpret the interceptors' signals and their false sense of security (believing they were over Egyptian territory) prevented them from complying with the order to land. Israel later acknowledged the incident as an 'error of judgment' and paid compensation to the victims' families.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Jacques Bourges, French national.
First Officer
Ayad Nebai Younis, Libyan national.
Flight Engineer
Jean-Pierre Boulot, French national.
Systems & Failure Modes
Qarun VOR
A navigational beacon the crew incorrectly reported passing while they were actually far to the east.
20mm Cannon
The weapon used by the Israeli F-4 Phantoms to disable the airliner's wing and engines.
Lima Uniform Locator
A low-range beacon near Cairo that the crew reported approaching despite being out of its effective range.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was a 5-year-old Boeing 727-224 with 4,526 airframe hours.
- 02The flight crew consisted of a French captain, a Libyan co-pilot, and a French flight engineer.
- 03The co-pilot barely understood French, which was the language used by the captain and engineer to discuss their navigational problems.
- 04Cairo Approach cleared the aircraft to descend and land, unaware the plane was actually 100 miles away over Israeli-held territory.
- 05Israel paid compensation to the families of the victims following international condemnation and an ICAO censure.
- 06Five individuals survived the crash, including the co-pilot.
- 07Among the 108 fatalities was Salah Busir, the former Libyan Foreign Minister.
Safety Actions & Advisories
ICAO Censure
The International Civil Aviation Organization voted to censure Israel for the attack, emphasizing the need for stricter adherence to international protocols regarding the interception of civilian aircraft.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Identification of Hostile Intent
Reference ↗Israel initially claimed the aircraft performed evasive maneuvers and that the crew's refusal to land suggested a security threat or a reconnaissance mission, a justification rejected by the ICAO and international community.