KAMPALA, Uganda (eTN) – An Antonov 12 cargo aircraft, which left Entebbe for the Ukraine early Friday, reportedly crashed in Luxor while attempting to take off again after a refueling stopover. According to reports, the aircraft’s five-member crew were all killed upon impact.
Antonovs and Iljushins, all very aged Soviet-era planes, played a prominent role in African aviation for a while, as they were cheap to acquire, but their accident record across the African continent makes horrific reading.
Several countries, including Uganda, have already prohibited registration of those aircraft. The United Arab Emirates recently totally banned the carriers from flying through their air space.
Calls are being made again, following this accident, that all of those aged aircraft must now be banned from flying in Africa, the cost for airlines still using them notwithstanding.
Poor maintenance has often been seen as the cause of such accidents. But, insufficient crew refresher training may also have played a role in some of the crashes.
WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE:
- Antonovs and Iljushins, all very aged Soviet-era planes, played a prominent role in African aviation for a while, as they were cheap to acquire, but their accident record across the African continent makes horrific reading.
- Calls are being made again, following this accident, that all of those aged aircraft must now be banned from flying in Africa, the cost for airlines still using them notwithstanding.
- But, insufficient crew refresher training may also have played a role in some of the crashes.
