On 11 April 2018, an

Ilyushin Il-76 The Ilyushin Il-76 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-76; NATO reporting name: Candid) is a multi-purpose, fixed-wing, four-engine turbofan strategic airlifter designed by the Soviet Union's Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a com ...

military transport aircraft of the

Algerian Air Force The Algerian Air Force (AAF) ( ar, القُوَّاتُ الجَوِّيَّةُ الجَزَائِرِيَّةُ, links=, lit=, translit=al-Quwwāt al-Ǧawwiyyah al-Ǧazāʾiriyyah, french: Forces aériennes algériennes, links=, lit=, translit ...

crashed shortly after take-off from Boufarik Airport, Boufarik,

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

, which is near Blida and south-west of the capital,

Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques d ...

. All 257 people on board were killed, making the accident the deadliest air crash on Algerian soil.

Aircraft

The aircraft was an Ilyushin Il-76TD of the

's produced by Tashkent Aviation Production Association in 1994. The aircraft, registered 7T-WIV,

msn MSN (meaning Microsoft Network) is a web portal and related collection of Internet services and apps for Windows and mobile devices, provided by Microsoft and launched on August 24, 1995, alongside the release of Windows 95. The Microsoft Net ...

1043419649, had first flown in 1994.

Crash

At 07:50 local time (06:50 UTC), the aircraft crashed just outside the perimeter of Boufarik Airport, Boufarik, from which it had recently taken off. Witnesses reported that the wing of the aircraft had caught fire prior to the crash. The flight had a final destination of Tindouf Airport, Tindouf, with a stopover in Boudghene Ben Ali Lotfi Airport, Béchar. All 10 crew and 247 passengers on board were killed. Among the passengers were 176 members of the Algerian People's National Army. Many of these soldiers and officers were traveling with family members. Thirty Saharawi students and other civilians from the refugee camps in Tindouf were among the dead according to officials of the Saharawi Republic. They had been visiting Algiers for various medical and bureaucratic reasons. Saharawis from the refugee camps are regularly provided with free flights in Algerian

military transport aircraft A military transport aircraft, military cargo aircraft or airlifter is a military-owned transport aircraft used to support military operations by airlifting troops and military equipment. Transport aircraft are crucial to maintaining supply ...

. Initial reports claimed that a senior member of the National Liberation Front, the governing party of the National Assembly in Algeria, said that 26

Polisario Front The Polisario Front, Frente Polisario, Frelisario or simply Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro), (in ar, rtl=yes, الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير الس� ...

members were among the casualties. The Moroccan media in particular unanimously claimed that several Polisario Front members were among the dead; however, Algerian and Saharawi officials have since maintained that there were only 30 Saharawi civilian casualties. Local authorities dispatched fourteen ambulances, ten

fire apparatus A firefighting apparatus describes any vehicle that has been customized for use during firefighting operations. These vehicles are highly customized depending on their needs and the duty they will be performing. These duties can include firefighti ...

and 130 personnel to attend to the crash site. As a result of the crash, the road between Boufarik and Blida was temporarily closed to traffic.

Aftermath

Following the accident, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the President of Algeria, declared three days of

national mourning A national day of mourning is a day or days marked by mourning and memorial activities observed among the majority of a country's populace. They are designated by the national government. Such days include those marking the death or funeral of ...

, echoing his reaction to the 2014 military air crash. For his part, Brahim Ghali, the President of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, declared seven days of national mourning. Ahmed Gaid Salah, Chief of Staff of the Algerian Army, ordered an investigation to determine the cause of the accident. Russia stated that it would assist in the investigation.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Algerian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 crash 2018 in Algeria Accidents and incidents involving military aircraft Accidents and incidents involving the Ilyushin Il-76 Algerian Air Force April 2018 events in Africa Aviation accidents and incidents in 2018 Aviation accidents and incidents in Algeria Blida Province Algerian People's National Army 2018 disasters in Algeria

Aircraft

Crash

Aftermath

See also

References