El Adem – Luqa

On October 10, 1961 at 12:00 AM, El Adem – Luqa experienced a crash involving Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings, operated by Royal Air Force - RAF, with the event recorded near El Adem Butnan (<U+0627><U+0644><U+0628><U+0637><U+0646><U+0627><U+0646>).

The flight was categorized as military and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

37 people were known to be on board, 17 fatalities were recorded, 20 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 45.9%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 34, passenger fatalities: 16, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The aircraft was engaged in a flight from El Adem to Luqa, Malta, carrying 34 members of the Maltese Artillery Contingent and 3 crew members of the 70th Squadron. Shortly after rotation, while in initial climb, the aircraft stalled and banked right. Immediately, the captain elected to regain control but the airplane struck the runway surface, rotated 90° and eventually crashed and burst into flames. A crew member and 16 passengers were killed while 20 other occupants were injured, some of them seriously. The aircraft was destroyed.

Aircraft reference details include registration WD498, MSN 126, year of manufacture 1951.