Narrative:
RAF Hercules XV179 departed Baghdad at 16:24 for a routine flight to Balad. The airplane was flying at low level when it was hit by enemy fire. The outboard 23 feet of the right wing separated and the Hercules became uncontrollable. It crashed and broke up.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The Board concluded that XV179 crashed because the ac became uncontrollable after hostile action caused the explosive separation of the outboard 23 ft of the right-hand wing. Furthermore the Board conclude that the explosive separation could have been caused solely by [blanked out] or a combination of [blanked out] and another [blanked out] impacting the wing in the vicinity of the separation boundary."
CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS:
"The Board concluded that the following factors contributed to the loss of XV179.
a. Flying at low level and in daylight made the ac vulnerable to [blanked out].
b. The lack of any fire retarding technology, either foam or inert gas, in the fuel tanks allowed an explosive fuel/air mix to develop in the ullage.
c. The ACHQ did not have sight of Op [blanked out] tasking and this reduced their ability to provide relevant intelligence support.
d. The SAFIRE reporting, collating and dissemination chain was not efficient enough to provide aircrew with the time-sensitive intelligence they need.
e. The lack of a procedure to pass up-to-the-minute and relevant threat information to the C-130 left crew unaware of the recent SAFIRE site between BIAP and BSE."
Loss of control
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Sunday 30 January 2005 |
| Time: | 16:30 |
| Type: |  Lockheed Hercules C.1 (C-130K) |
| Operator: | Royal Air Force - RAF |
| Registration: | XV179 |
| MSN: | 4195 |
| First flight: | 1967 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 24200 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 10 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | near Al Taji ( Iraq)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Baghdad International Airport (BGW/ORBI), Iraq |
| Balad Air Base (ORBD), Iraq |
RAF Hercules XV179 departed Baghdad at 16:24 for a routine flight to Balad. The airplane was flying at low level when it was hit by enemy fire. The outboard 23 feet of the right wing separated and the Hercules became uncontrollable. It crashed and broke up.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The Board concluded that XV179 crashed because the ac became uncontrollable after hostile action caused the explosive separation of the outboard 23 ft of the right-hand wing. Furthermore the Board conclude that the explosive separation could have been caused solely by [blanked out] or a combination of [blanked out] and another [blanked out] impacting the wing in the vicinity of the separation boundary."
CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS:
"The Board concluded that the following factors contributed to the loss of XV179.
a. Flying at low level and in daylight made the ac vulnerable to [blanked out].
b. The lack of any fire retarding technology, either foam or inert gas, in the fuel tanks allowed an explosive fuel/air mix to develop in the ullage.
c. The ACHQ did not have sight of Op [blanked out] tasking and this reduced their ability to provide relevant intelligence support.
d. The SAFIRE reporting, collating and dissemination chain was not efficient enough to provide aircrew with the time-sensitive intelligence they need.
e. The lack of a procedure to pass up-to-the-minute and relevant threat information to the C-130 left crew unaware of the recent SAFIRE site between BIAP and BSE."
Classification:
Shot down from the groundLoss of control
Sources:
» RAF Board of Inquiry into the loss of: Hercules XV179 (Iraq - 30 JAN 05)Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Baghdad International Airport to Balad Air Base as the crow flies is 76 km (47 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
Distance from Baghdad International Airport to Balad Air Base as the crow flies is 76 km (47 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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