Tripoli International Airport - Accidents and Incidents

Accidents and Incidents

• On 21 September 1955, British Overseas Airways Corporation Canadair C-4 Argonaut traveling from Rome, Italy, to Tripoli crashed on its fourth landing attempt in poor visibility and strong winds. Fifteen of forty-seven occupants died after the aircraft descended too low, struck trees approximately 1,200 feet short of runway 11 and crash landed.
• On 27 July 1989, Korean Air Flight 803, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30), from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to Tripoli. The aircraft initially departed Seoul, South Korea, on a flight to Tripoli with intermediate stops at Bangkok, Thailand; and Jeddah. Visibility was varying between 100 and 800 feet and the runway 27 ILS had been reported unserviceable. On final approach to runway 27 the aircraft crashed short of the runway, striking four houses and a number of cars. Damage– total destruction, Injuries– multiple, Deaths- 79 (4 ground fatalities, 3 of 18 crew, 72 of 181 passengers), Airframe– written off.
• On 22 December 1992, Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 1103 Boeing 727 took off from Benina International Airport near Benghazi, Libya, on a domestic flight to Tripoli. At an altitude of 3,500 ft (1,067 m) during the aircraft's approach to Tripoli airport, it collided with a Libyan Air Force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23, causing both aircraft to crash. The accident killed all 157 passengers and crew on Flight 1103 and both crew members of the MiG-23.
• On 12 May 2010, Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771, an Airbus A330-200 crashed on approach to the airport on a flight from OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa. 103 of 104 people on board were killed.
• On 25 and 26 August 2011, during the Battle of Tripoli, Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A300B4-620 5A-IAY and Libyan Arab Airlines Airbus A300B4-622 were destroyed in fighting between pro- and anti-Gadaffi forces. Some reports mention an additional 2 aircraft destroyed, including 1 Afriqiyah Airbus A330. A single Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A320 was damaged by gunfire.
• On December 10, 2011, a gun battle between Libya's new army and a powerful militia took place at the airport.
• On June 4, 2012, the airport was seized by members of the Al-Awfia brigade demanding the release of their leader, who had been kidnapped the previous day. Government forces swiftly retook the airport and arrested the militia members, 7 of whom were later convicted and sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison.