Narrative:
Ethiopian Air Lines Flight 3 departed Athens at 22:36 for a flight to Addis Ababa via Khartoum. The first leg of the flight was uneventful and the flight departed Khartoum at 05:55 GMT. At 06:10 the aircraft was climbing through FL105 to the cruising altitude of FL175 when the no. 2 engine fire warning light for zones 2 and 3 came on and the warning bell rang. The engine was feathered and the CO2 bottle fired. An explosion occurred however, followed by a violent fire, forcing the crew to make a gear-up forced landing on a large flat cultivated area. The aircraft skidded for 1020 feet before coming to rest. Just before the forced landing (at 1000 feet height) the no. 2 engine had dropped clear of the aircraft, causing severe buffeting and sharp lowering of the left wing.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The overheating of the brakes of the main landing gear during the aircraft's taxiing and take-off run. It was caused by a dragging brake and a leakage of hydraulic oil with resultant fire and tire blow out. The tire blow out resulted in damage to hydraulic oil and fuel lines within the confined area of no.2 engine nacelle, between the rear spar, and between the fuselage and left side of the landing gear wheel well doors."
Tire failure
Forced landing outside airport
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Wednesday 10 July 1957 |
| Time: | 06:20 UTC |
| Type: |  Lockheed L-749 Constellation (C-121A) |
| Operator: | Ethiopian Air Lines |
| Registration: | ET-T-35 |
| MSN: | 2608 |
| First flight: | 1949 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 14 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 20 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | 49 km (30.6 mls) from Khartoum ( Sudan)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | International Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Khartoum-Civil Airport (KRT/HSSS), Sudan |
| Addis Ababa-Lideta Airport (HAAL), Ethiopia | |
| Flightnumber: | ET3 |
Ethiopian Air Lines Flight 3 departed Athens at 22:36 for a flight to Addis Ababa via Khartoum. The first leg of the flight was uneventful and the flight departed Khartoum at 05:55 GMT. At 06:10 the aircraft was climbing through FL105 to the cruising altitude of FL175 when the no. 2 engine fire warning light for zones 2 and 3 came on and the warning bell rang. The engine was feathered and the CO2 bottle fired. An explosion occurred however, followed by a violent fire, forcing the crew to make a gear-up forced landing on a large flat cultivated area. The aircraft skidded for 1020 feet before coming to rest. Just before the forced landing (at 1000 feet height) the no. 2 engine had dropped clear of the aircraft, causing severe buffeting and sharp lowering of the left wing.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The overheating of the brakes of the main landing gear during the aircraft's taxiing and take-off run. It was caused by a dragging brake and a leakage of hydraulic oil with resultant fire and tire blow out. The tire blow out resulted in damage to hydraulic oil and fuel lines within the confined area of no.2 engine nacelle, between the rear spar, and between the fuselage and left side of the landing gear wheel well doors."
Classification:
Brake problem Tire failure
Forced landing outside airport
Sources:
» ICAO Accident Digest No.9, Circular 56-AN/51 (132-137)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 Khartoum-Civil Airport to Addis Ababa-Lideta Airport as the crow flies is 987 km (617 miles).
Distance from Khartoum-Civil Airport to Addis Ababa-Lideta Airport as the crow flies is 987 km (617 miles).
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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