Togolese Government

Boeing 707

The four engine aircraft departed Paris-Le Bourget Airport on a flight to Valencia, Spain, where members of the chorus of the University of Bénin-Togo were dropped off. At the end of the afternoon, the crew departed Valencia on the final leg of the day to Lomé, Togo. While in cruising altitude over the Niger territory, the crew informed ATC about smoke spreading in the cockpit and was cleared for an emergency descent and landing at Niamey-Diori Hamani Airport. On approach, due to the failure of the hydraulic systems, the crew was unable to lower the undercarriage so a belly landing was completed. The aircraft slid for few dozen metres before coming to rest, bursting into flames. All 10 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

Gulfstream GII

The airplane was returning to Lomé after the President of Niger Mr. Seyni Kountche was brought back in Niamey following an international conference in Lomé. On approach to Lomé Airport, the airplane crashed few km short of runway. The captain, the flight engineer and a passenger were killed while two other passengers and the copilot were injured. The aircraft, brand new, was destroyed. It completed its first flight last July 17 and accumulated 50 flight hours for 35 cycles only.