Algiers – Ghardaïa – Hassi Messaoud – In Amenas – Djanet – Tamanrasset

On April 11, 1967 at 08:14 PM, Algiers – Ghardaïa – Hassi Messaoud – In Amenas – Djanet – Tamanrasset experienced a crash involving Douglas DC-4, operated by Air Algérie, with the event recorded near Tamanrasset Tamanrasset.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a mountains crash site.

39 people were known to be on board, 35 fatalities were recorded, 4 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 89.7%.

Crew on board: 6, crew fatalities: 6, passengers on board: 33, passenger fatalities: 29, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The four engine aircraft was completing a flight from Algiers to Tamanrasset with intermediate stops in Ghardaïa, Hassi Messaoud, In Amenas and Djanet. It was scheduled that some tourists should embark at Djanet Airport but for unknown reason, no one embarked or disembarked at Djanet. While approaching Tamanrasset Airport by night, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the airplane struck a mountain slope located 8 km from the airport and exploded. The wreckage was found about 300 meters below the summit and the aircraft was completely destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. Four passengers were seriously injured (two Algerians and two Swiss) while all 35 other occupants were killed, among them Swiss and French tourists. The Swiss citizens killed were: Peter Messikommer, Reinhard Wyss, Hans Grieshaber, Christina Grieshaber, Wilhelm Leisinger, Othmar Lienhard, Fritz Matter, Emma Holenstein, Jacques Bachmann, Werner Luethy, Raymond Dorner, Gilberte Dorner, Anne-Marie Lombard, Michel Sechy, Mrs. Sechy, Juerg Sechy. Those who survived were: Jacques Lombard, Aurelio Fogacci.

Aircraft reference details include registration 7T-VAU, MSN 3065, year of manufacture 1943.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 22.7886°, 5.5276°.