Sofia - Algiers

On December 21, 1971 at 11:32 PM, Sofia - Algiers experienced a crash involving Ilyushin II-18, operated by Balkan Bulgarian Airlines, with the event recorded near Sofia-Vrazhdebna Sofia Province.

The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

73 people were known to be on board, 28 fatalities were recorded, 45 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 38.4%.

Crew on board: 11, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 62, passenger fatalities: 26, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. Just after liftoff, while climbing by night to a height of 8 meters, the airplane banked left, causing the left wing to struck the runway surface. Out of control, the airplane crashed in flames in a grassy area located on the left side of the runway. Among the debris scattered on a distance of 400 meters, 45 injured people were evacuated while 28 others were killed, among them two crew members and the Bulgarian singer Pacha Hristova who was travelling to Algeria with members of the Bulgarian folklorik band 'Aura'.

Aircraft reference details include registration LZ-BES, MSN 185 0081 04, year of manufacture 1965.