Budapest - Beirut
Flight / Schedule
Budapest - Beirut
Aircraft
Tupolev TU-154Registration
HA-LCI
MSN
74A053
Year of Manufacture
1974
Date
September 30, 1975 at 02:40 AM
Type
CRASHFlight Type
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Flight Phase
Landing (descent or approach)
Crash Site
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Crash Location
Beirut Beirut Governorate
Region
Asia • Lebanon
Coordinates
33.8919°, 35.5109°
Narrative Report
On September 30, 1975 at 02:40 AM, Budapest - Beirut experienced a crash involving Tupolev TU-154, operated by Malév Hungarian Airlines - Magyar Légiközlekedési Vallalat, with the event recorded near Beirut Beirut Governorate.
The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.
60 people were known to be on board, 60 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.
Crew on board: 10, crew fatalities: 10, passengers on board: 50, passenger fatalities: 50, other fatalities: 0.
Following an uneventful flight from Budapest, the crew was cleared to descend to an altitude of 6,000 feet. By night, the airplane went out of control and crashed in unclear circumstances into the Mediterranean Sea about 10 km off Beirut. Debris were found floating on water and none of the 60 occupants survived. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were considered as good.
Aircraft reference details include registration HA-LCI, MSN 74A053, year of manufacture 1974.
Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 33.8919°, 35.5109°.
Fatalities
Total
60
Crew
10
Passengers
50
Other
0
Crash Summary
Following an uneventful flight from Budapest, the crew was cleared to descend to an altitude of 6,000 feet. By night, the airplane went out of control and crashed in unclear circumstances into the Mediterranean Sea about 10 km off Beirut. Debris were found floating on water and none of the 60 occupants survived. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were considered as good.
Occupants & Outcome
Crew On Board
10
Passengers On Board
50
Estimated Survivors
0
Fatality Rate
100.0%
Known people on board: 60
Operational Details
Schedule / Flight
Budapest - Beirut
Flight Type
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Flight Phase
Landing (descent or approach)
Crash Site
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Region / Country
Asia • Lebanon
Aircraft Details
Similar Plane Crashes
Air Orient
CAMS 53
While landing in Beirut's harbor, the seaplane overturned, came to rest upside down and sank. All occupants were rescued but both pilots were seriously injured, among them Cpt Jean Hennequin.
Royal Air Force - RAF
Vickers 440 Wellington X
The crew was performing a training exercise on behalf of the 77th OTU in RAF Qastina, Palestine. En route, while flying together with a Bristol Beaufighter of the 46th Squadron, both aircraft collided and crashed near Nabatieh, south of Lebanon. All seven occupants on both aircraft were killed. The exact circumstances of the collision remains unknown.
Middle East Airlines - MEA
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Damaged beyond repair in a ground accident in Beirut with a Junkers JU.52/3m operated by Compagnie Générale Transsaharienne (CGT). There were no casualties.
Air Enterprises
Airspeed AS.65 Consul
The crew was performing a flight from Beirut to Amman on behalf of the United Nations. En route, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances on the slope of Mt Roumaniye located near the village of Haitoura, in the Jezzine district. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended a week later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. Walkers found the wreckage of the aircraft in a snow covered area six weeks later, on March 29. Both crew members, British citizens, were killed. Crew: G. E. Whitehead, pilot, E. C. S. Burden, radio operator.
Air Jordan
Avro 652 Anson
Shortly after takeoff from Beirut Airport, while climbing by night, the aircraft suffered engine problems. The captain completed an emergency landing on a beach near the airport. While the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair, all 10 occupants were uninjured.
United States Air Force - USAF
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Shortly after takeoff from Beirut Airport, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in Choueifat, about 2 km east of the airfield. At least one crew member was killed in the accident.
