Gulf Air

Airbus A320

On 23 August 2000, at about 1930 local time, Gulf Air flight GF072, an Airbus A320-212, a Sultanate of Oman registered aircraft A4O-EK, crashed at sea at about 3 miles north-east of Bahrain International Airport. GF072 departed from Cairo International Airport, Egypt, with two pilots, six cabin crew and 135 passengers on board for Bahrain International Airport, Muharraq, Kingdom of Bahrain. GF072 was operating a regularly scheduled international passenger service flight under the Convention on International Civil Aviation and the provisions of the Sultanate of Oman Civil Aviation Regulations Part 121 and was on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. GF072 was cleared for a VOR/DME approach for Runway 12 at Bahrain. At about one nautical mile from the touch down and at an altitude of about 600 feet, the flight crew requested for a left hand orbit, which was approved by the air traffic control (ATC). Having flown the orbit beyond the extended centreline on a south-westerly heading, the captain decided to go-around. Observing the manoeuvre, the ATC offered the radar vectors, which the flight crew accepted. GF072 initiated a go-around, applied take-off/go-around thrust, and crossed the runway on a north-easterly heading with a shallow climb to about 1000 feet. As the aircraft rapidly accelerated, the master warning sounded for flap over-speed. A perceptual study, carried out as part of the investigation, indicated that during the go-around the flight crew probably experienced a form of spatial disorientation, which could have caused the captain to falsely perceive that the aircraft was ‘pitching up’. He responded by making a ‘nose-down’ input, and, as a result, the aircraft commenced to descend. The ground proximity warning system (GPWS) voice alarm sounded: “whoop, whoop pull-up …”. The GPWS warning was repeated every second for nine seconds, until the aircraft impacted the shallow sea. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces, and all 143 persons on board were killed.

Airbus A320

During the takeoff roll on runway 31 at Abu Dhabi Airport, just before V1, the aircraft started to vibrate and longitudinal control was lost. The captain decided to abandon the takeoff procedure and initiate an emergency braking manoeuvre. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran, lost its nose gear and came to a halt few dozen metres further. On impact, the cockpit and both engines were almost destroyed and the left wing broke in two.

Boeing 737-200

Following an uneventful flight from Karachi, the aircraft was approaching Abu Dhabi-Al Bateen Airport in good weather conditions. On short final, the aircraft exploded and crashed shot of runway, bursting into flames. There were no survivors among the 112 occupants. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.

Short SC.7 Skyvan Variant

While cruising over the Persian Gulf on a cargo flight from Bahrain to Abu Dhabi-Al Bateen Airport, the airplane suffered an engine failure. The crew reduced his altitude and ditched the aircraft off Das Island, about 160 km northwest of Abu Dhabi. Both occupants were rescued while the airplane sank and was lost.