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 and subsequent legal proceedings revealed the specific aircraft, 7O-ADJ, had been restricted from French territory since 2007 following a DGAC inspection that identified numerous safety deficiencies. French courts later determined the airline was negligent for continuing to fly this specific airframe on the Sanaa-Moroni leg and for failing to provide adequate pilot training for the challenging conditions at Moroni.
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.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
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 7O-ADJ had been restricted from French airspace since 2007 due to maintenance concerns.
- 03The crash occurred in pitch darkness with wind speeds reaching 33 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.
Legal Conviction for Negligence
In 2022, a French court convicted Yemenia Airways of involuntary homicide and injuries, citing 'culture of laxity' and negligence in pilot training. This verdict and the maximum fine were upheld by the Paris Court of Appeal in September 2024.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Yemeni Objections to Final Report
Yemeni authorities formally objected to the final report's focus on pilot error, arguing that the investigation downplayed technical malfunctions and the role of the aircraft's maintenance history.
Missile Strike Theory
In the immediate aftermath of the crash, some Yemeni officials and media outlets suggested the aircraft might have been hit by a French missile during a military exercise. This theory was dismissed by investigators after wreckage analysis showed no evidence of an explosion or external impact.
Location
APPROXIMATE AREA ONLY · This position predates coordinate provenance tracking. Treat it as an approximate marker for the area, not the accident site. No map is shown, because a marker here would imply a precision the record does not have.
Reported location: Indian Ocean, near Moroni, Comoros