ACCIDENT DIGEST 99-31
Date: 3 Nov 1999 21:56:51 -0000

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Date: 3 Nov 1999 21:56:51 -0000
ACCIDENT DIGEST 99-31:


Note:
Apologies for the late notification on the accident regarding Egypt Air Flt 990. I have just returned from a holiday in China, so this is just a general description of the accident. More information, as well as background info on the reverser issue (though the possible reverser problems on flt 990 are still rumours!!) etc. will be posted on the Aviation Safety Network in the following days.

Please note this information is preliminary; new information will be added on the Aviation Safety Network at http://aviation-safety.net. The 1999 yearlist of accidents always contains the most recent information on each accident.

Date: 31.10.99
Time: 01.52 EST
Type: Boeing 767-366ER
Operator: Egypt Air
Registration: SU-GAP
C/n: 24542/282
Year built: 1989
Total airframe hrs: 30000+ hours
Cycles: 6900+ cycles
Crew: 15 fatalities / 15 on board
Passengers: 202 fatalities / 202 on board
Total: 217 fatalities / 217 on board
Location: Nantucket Island, MA; 60 mls SE off (USA)
Phase: Cruise
Nature: Scheduled Passenger
Flight: New York-John F. Kennedy IAP, NY - Cairo IAP
(Flightnumber 990)

Remarks:
Flight 990 (Los Angeles - New York - Cairo) was scheduled to leave New York at 22.30h, but departure was delayed until 01.19h. The flight was cleared to climb to FL 330 and enter Oceanic Airspace en route to Cairo. The flight's last radio communication with air traffic controllers at the New York Air Route Traffic Control Center was at 01:47 EST. Three minutes later the aircraft was seen to descend rapidly. The position at the last radar return was 40deg 20' north latitude, 60deg 54' west longitude. The aircraft crashed into the sea off Nantucket.

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Source:
Mark Stephenson; Bill Harms; Tommy Maurer; NTSB; BBC; Boeing

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Background info:

AIRCRAFT PROFILE BOEING 767
# hull-losses: 6
# B767s built: 763+
* cabin layout: 10 First Class, 22 Business Class, 185 Economy Class seats
* engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney PW4060
* 2nd worst Boeing 767 accident
* Last Boeing 767 hull-loss: 23 NOV 96 Ethiopian Airlines off Comoro Islands- 125 fatalities
* Aircraft history:
SU-GAP Egypt Air 15 SEP 1989 first flight
26 SEP 1989 delivered
name: "Thutmosis III"

OPERATOR PROFILE EGYPT AIR
* website: http://www.egyptair.com.eg
* founded: 1932 (as Misrair, renamed United Arab Airlines in 1960 and renamed Egypt Air in 1970)
* 39th post-1945 Egypt Air hull-loss (Misrair 4; UAA 23, Egypt Air 12)
* worst Egypt Air accident

COUNTRY PROFILE USA:
* last fatal airliner accident in USA: 1 JUN 1999 (MD-83 American Airlines at Little Rock, AR - 11 fatalities)
* 4th worst airliner accident in USA

COUNTRY PROFILE EGYPT:
* last fatal accident involving an Egyptian airliner: 10 MAR 1998 (Boeing 707 SU-PBA, Air Memphis at Mombasa, Kenya- all 6 on board killed)
* worst airliner accident involving an Egyptian airliner
* Egypt is rated Category 1 (meeting ICAO standards) in FAA's International Aviation Safety Assessment Program (IASA)