1985 Air Mali Antonov An-24 crash
An Air Mali Antonov An-24, similar to the one involved | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 22 February 1985 |
| Summary | Crashed on take off due to an engine failure |
| Site | Near Timbuktu Airport, Timbuktu, Mali 16°44′32″N 2°58′56″W / 16.74222°N 2.98222°W |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Antonov An-24V |
| Operator | Air Mali |
| Registration | TZ-ACT |
| Flight origin | Gao International Airport, Gao, Mali |
| 1st stopover | Timbuktu Airport, Timbuktu, Mali |
| Destination | Mopti Airport, Sévaré, Mali |
| Occupants | 52 |
| Passengers | 46 |
| Crew | 6 |
| Fatalities | 51 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Survivors | 1 |
On 22 February 1985, an Air Mali Antonov An-24V operating a domestic flight in Mali from to Gao International Airport, Gao, to Mopti Airport, Sévaré, crashed on takeoff from Timbuktu Airport, Timbuktu, where the flight had a stopover, after suffering from an engine falire. Of the 52 occupants of the aircraft there was only one survivor.[1][2]
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was an Antonov An-24V registered as TZ-ACT, and manufactured in 1968.[1]
Accident
The aircraft was scheduled to fly a domestic route in Mali from Gao International Airport to Mopti Airport, with an intermediate stopover in Timbuktu Airport. About two minutes after takeoff from Timbuktu the Antonov suffered an engine failure, with the engine reportedly catching fire and exploding, so the crew decided to return to the airport and perform an emergency landing. The aircraft didn't manage to reach the airport and crashed, and subsequently caught fire, about 2 kilometers east of the runway. 51 of the 52 people on board were killed, and the sole survivor, a malian citizen, was seriously injured.[3][4]
Of the 51 victims of the crash 38 were malian and 13 from other countries. Of the 13 foreigner passengers, which included three Americans, three Dutch, a Belgian, an Italian, a French and an Algerian, most were workers of the United Nations humanitarian programmes active in the area, like the United Nations Development Programme.[5]
Notable passengers
Former minister Attaher Maiga, who served under the presidency of Modibo Keïta, was killed in the crash.[6]
References
- ^ a b "Accident Antonov An-24V TZ-ACT Friday 22 February 1985". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ^ "Crash of an Antonov AN-24B in Tombouctou: 51 killed". Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ^ "An Air Mali passenger plane caught fire over the..." UPI. 22 February 1985. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ^ "50 of 51 Die as Plane Crashes Near Timbuktu". The Los Angeles Time. 23 February 1985. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ^ "Mali Airline Says 3 Americans Died in Crash Near Timbuktu". The New York Times. 24 February 1985. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ^ "Air Mali Crash Kills 50 at Timbuktu". The Washington Post. 22 February 1985. Retrieved 1 June 2025.