Royal Moroccan Air Force — Flight CNA-OQ

A Royal Moroccan Air Force C-130H Hercules crashed into Tayyert Mountain while attempting to land at Guelmim Airport during a scheduled stopover. The aircraft was transporting 60 soldiers and approximately 20 others, including crew and civilians (reports vary between 8 crew and 12 civilians, or 9 crew and 11 civilians). Thick fog and poor visibility were reported at the time of the accident. Although three individuals were initially pulled alive from the wreckage, they later succumbed to their injuries, resulting in the deaths of all 80 people on board.

Aircraft

Lockheed C-130H Hercules

Registration

CNA-OQ

Phase

Approach

Cause

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Souls on Board

Fatalities

Origin → Dest

Dakhla Airport, Morocco → Guelmim Airport, Morocco

Report

Destroyed

Investigation Summary

The flight was a routine military transport mission moving personnel and their families between Dakhla in Western Sahara and Kenitra. During the approach to Guelmim Airport, the flight crew encountered marginal weather conditions characterized by heavy fog. The aircraft impacted the rocky slopes of Tayyert Mountain (also referred to as Sayyert Mountain) approximately 10 kilometers northeast of the airport. The impact and subsequent post-crash fire completely destroyed the airframe. This event remains the deadliest military aviation disaster in Moroccan history.

Final Conclusions

The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces attributed the crash to poor weather conditions, specifically heavy fog and low visibility during the approach phase. The aircraft struck high terrain while flying at an altitude insufficient to clear the mountain, a classic profile of Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT). No technical malfunctions were officially reported as contributing factors.

Photographic Evidence (1)

Video Analysis

No video analysis linked for this case file yet.

Airframe & Maintenance

Engines

Allison T56-A-15

Systems & Failure Modes

Allison T56-A-15

The four turboprop engines powering the C-130H Hercules.

Altimeter

Critical instrument for terrain clearance; poor visibility often leads to reliance on these during mountain approaches.

Interesting Facts

01The aircraft was a Lockheed C-130H Hercules manufactured in 1981 with Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN) 4892.
02The crash occurred approximately 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) northeast of Guelmim Airport.
03The passenger manifest included 60 soldiers and 11 civilians (family members of the military).
04King Mohammed VI declared three days of national mourning following the disaster.
05The accident is the deadliest aviation event in Morocco since the 1973 Royal Air Maroc Caravelle crash.