Investigation Summary
The flight was the final leg of a journey from Paris and Marseille to the Comoros. During a visual approach at night in turbulent weather, the crew performed a series of uncoordinated maneuvers. While attempting a go-around, the crew was unaware that the automation had set the engines to idle. They failed to recognize the impending stall and continued to apply nose-up inputs even as the stall warning sounded. The aircraft impacted the water approximately 9 miles north of the Grande Comore coastline. Investigation revealed the aircraft had been previously flagged for maintenance faults by French authorities in 2007, though the crash was ultimately attributed to crew performance and lack of training in emergency recovery.
Final Conclusions
The Comorian National Agency for Civil Aviation (ANACM) concluded the cause was the crew's inappropriate actions on the flight controls, leading to an unrecovered stall. Contributing factors included the crew's lack of reaction to cockpit warnings, high workload during a non-stabilized approach, and insufficient training in stall recovery procedures.
Video Analysis
The Miracle Girl | The Crash of Yemenia Flight 626 — A detailed look at the 2009 crash of an Airbus A310 into the Indian Ocean and the incredible survival story of Bahia Bakari.
Watch on YouTube ↗If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Systems & Failure Modes
Auto-flight System
The system set the engines to idle during the climb phase because the crew's inputs conflicted with the automation logic.
Stall Warning System
The aircraft's audio and visual stall warnings were active, but the crew failed to respond with nose-down recovery inputs.
Interesting Facts
- 01Bahia Bakari was the sole survivor, surviving 9 hours in the water without a life vest.
- 02The aircraft had been banned from French airspace since 2007 due to maintenance concerns.
- 03The crash occurred in pitch darkness with wind speeds reaching 30 knots.
- 04It remains the deadliest aviation accident in the history of the Comoros.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Stall Recovery Training
The investigation emphasized the need for enhanced pilot training regarding manual flight handling and stall recovery at high altitudes and during approach.
Flight Data Recovery Improvements
The NTSB and BEA used this and other over-water accidents to recommend improved technologies for locating wreckage and recovering flight data in remote areas.