Passenger Jet Crashes in Benin

FoxNews ^

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

It may be that a terrorist did indeed attempt to take this aircraft off the runway. If said terrorist/terrorists only had basic flight training, they would not have the skill to control it, if something either went wrong or if they caused something to go wrong.

I find it very odd that they would not retract the gear immediately, as well as they attempted a turn in a departure configuration.

All Airline Transport rated pilots are intenseley trained and tested in this specific situation.

[PAR35]

The center engine nacelle indicates that as well as the four small skylites above the main windshield. DC-10s have no such skylites as the comparison photo indicates.

Third world, could be a TU-154. http://www.delftblue-daybreak.de/400_scale/Tu154/TU-154_AFL-SU-Dateien/TU-154_AFL-SU_g.jpg

[ab01]

Probably not. Check out the shape of the "eybrow" windows. The crash photo of the cockpit is definitely a Boeing acft. Those windows are used on many types from 737 through 747

[PAR35]

It is a 727.

"Airport officials in Beirut said the Boeing 727 had been chartered by two Lebanese men, and most of the passengers were believed to be returning home for the Christmas holidays."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3548991,00.html

[PAR35]

It is a 727, but check out the TU - it was copied from a 727, and has similar cockpit windows. Of course, the 727 "borrowed" design elements from the BAC 1-11.

[cmsgop]

Thanks for that.

[Central Scrutiniser]

I'm always amazed at the pure ignorance of the media whenever there is a crash. I was able to ID the plane as a 727 immediately. The airline, UTA is a French charter operation. As for the Tu154, its very close to the 727 but both of the planes are very similar to the British Trident plane, not the Bac 1-11, which is a 2 engine shorter haul airplane.

As for Benin, its a relative sucess story in that part of Africa, relatively peacefull, with a fair economy for that part of Africa.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

the Boeing 727 had been chartered by two Lebanese men...

Looks like my second theory is not out of the question. Perhaps they were planing a diversion for Baghdad, perhaps flying it into some Hotel or other target?

I know, I sound like the propeller on my Tinfoil Hat is spinning wildly. LOL!

[Central Scrutiniser]

Conackry is in Guniea so it would be impossible for it to be in Benin! UTA is a French airline, been around a while, they do lots of charter work.

So, we have a different airport than the conspirationalists say, and a differently owned airline than the conspirationalists say.

Being a conspiracy theorist means never having to be precise or correct.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

You sound like you have flight experience.

As I posted on # 100 and # 101, what is your opinion about the way they had the 727 configured for deperture?

[madison10]

...the Boeing 727 had been chartered by two Lebanese men...

Looks like my second theory is not out of the question. Perhaps they were planning a diversion for Baghdad, perhaps flying it into some Hotel or other target?

I know, I sound like the propeller on my Tinfoil Hat is spinning wildly. LOL!

Look at just these three things: French owned, Lebanese men & airplane. If those aren't enough to get your tinfoil hat in a tizzy, nothing is. ;)

[Central Scrutiniser]

I flew a desk for America West Airlines for 14 years. I helped recruit pilots. Flown on lots of crappy airliners all over the world. As for the gear retraction, sometimes if the plane is very full and its a shorter runway (and depending on the heat) they leave the gear down longer to cool the tires off. Continental Micronesia used to fly 727's to their small runway islands (Johnston Island, Kosrae, Phonpei, etc) and they would have to keep the gear down for a bit to cool. The 727 is a pretty old plane, none of the passenger airlines in the USA fly it anymore, a few cargo companies do. I'd bet that this plane was not properly maintained, especially if it was part of an offshoot of UTA that was Africa based.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Great insight!

I can visualise that now; Heavy aircraft, high ground temperature, etc...

If I were PIC on that flight, I would cool the wheels as well before closing the doors. I can imagine the smoke and swelled condition of the wheels.

All my time is in Alaska and the Northern West Coast.

[FairOpinion]

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1577523&nav=0RceJrOJ

Plane crashes off African coast, 90 people dead
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(COTONOU, Benin--AP, December 25, 2003, 3:00 p.m.) A jetliner carrying Lebanese workers home for the holidays crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff in the West African nation of Benin on Thursday, killing at least 90 people, witnesses said.

As many as 200 passengers and crew were on United Transit Airlines Flight 141 bound for Beirut from Cotonou, Benin's commercial capital, when the plane went down at 2:55 p.m., said Jerome Dandjinou, an airport security official.

A witness told Lebanese Hezbollah's Al Manar television that the plane had trouble taking off and hit a building at the end of the runway.

"The plane then exploded and crashed into the sea," the man said. "It's a horrible tragedy beyond imagination."

Ghabi Koudieh, a Lebanese expatriate in Cotonou, told Al Manar that 90 bodies were pulled out from the sea. At least 80 were Lebanese, he said. Other witnesses said there were about 35 Lebanese survivors.

Dozens of bodies floated among the plane's wreckage about 150 yards off a Cotonou beach, and residents waded into the surf to recover them.

Benin President Mattieu Kerekou also visited the crash site. Television images showed pieces of the plane lying in the surf: shorn-off landing gear, part of a wing, the cockpit and the rear part of the fuselage, along with an engine.

Tangled wires and metal hung from the ripped-open fuselage. One man sat in the sand, blood running down his bare chest. Another injured man held his head.

Airport officials in Beirut said the Boeing 727 had been chartered by two Lebanese men, and most of the passengers were believed to be returning home for the Christmas holidays.

[Palladin]

Well, there were survivors, so we will no doubt hear from them if there was a terrorist takeover attempt.

[COEXERJ145]

Very unlikely this was terrorist related.

If I had to pick a cause, I would say either pilot error (clipped a building on take off), mechanical error, or both. Early reports say the pilot couldn't get the landing gear to retract. It is very likely the cockpit crew was distracted and did not have enough rate of climb to clear the obstacles @ the end of the runway. Other factors could be poor crew training and poor maintenance. The aircraft was a former American Airlines machine, like I said in my earlier post. N862AA (its American Airlines registry) was first delivered to American Airlines in December 1963 so the aircraft was 40 years old.

Photo of N862AA

Second Photo

Air Disaster.com Report

[angkor]

Conackry is in Guniea so it would be impossible for it to be in Benin!

The flight originated in Conakry, Guinea, with a stopover in Benin to Lebanaon. It even says that on the Lebanon airport schedule for today.

UTA is a French airline, been around a while, they do lots of charter work.

The UTA you're referring to was aborbed by Air France about 10 years ago. This is the "new" UTA which has been described as having either Lebanese or Indonesian ownership.

I provided authoritative web references far all of the above.

So, we have a different airport than the conspirationalists say, and a differently owned airline than the conspirationalists say.

As I said, I provided direct web links to support everything I said. Click on them, look for yourself.

[angkor]

The airline, UTA is a French charter operation.

Wrong. Union de Transports Aériens was fully absorbed into Air France many years ago. It no longer exists.

This is Union Transports Africains, described by authoritative sources as being either Lebanese- or Indonesian-owned.

Go back and look at my post #99, there are direct links there.

[Central Scrutiniser]

I was wrong, UTA used to be a seperate airline, but was merged into Air France. I stand corrected. But, Conakry is in Guniea.

BTW, I was in Cambodia last month at Angkor Wat, amazing place, I loved it...

[angkor]

French owned, Lebanese men & airplane

UTA is not French owned. It is either Lebanese, Guinean, or Indonesian (the records conflict).

See my post #99 for direct links.