Bucharest – Nouadhibou

On a night approach to Nouadhibou Airport, the crew encountered limited visibility. When the aircraft reached the decision height of 300 feet on final, a missed approach procedure was initiated when the captain thought he had a visual contact with the runway. He decided to continue the approach when the airplane contacted water and crashed into the sea less than one km short of runway threshold. A passenger was killed while 18 others were injured. The airplane was destroyed,

Flight / Schedule

Bucharest – Nouadhibou

Aircraft

Tupolev TU-154

Registration

YR-TPH

MSN

78A277

Year of Manufacture

1978

Date

August 7, 1980 at 03:04 AM

Type

CRASH

Flight Type

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Flight Phase

Landing (descent or approach)

Crash Site

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Crash Location

Nouadhibou Dakhlet Nouadhibou

Region

Africa • Mauritania

Coordinates

20.9127°, -17.0503°

Crash Cause

Human factor

Narrative Report

On August 7, 1980 at 03:04 AM, Bucharest – Nouadhibou experienced a crash involving Tupolev TU-154, operated by TAROM - Transporturile Aeriene Române, with the event recorded near Nouadhibou Dakhlet Nouadhibou.

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.

178 people were known to be on board, 1 fatalities were recorded, 177 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.6%.

Crew on board: 16, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 162, passenger fatalities: 1, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. On a night approach to Nouadhibou Airport, the crew encountered limited visibility. When the aircraft reached the decision height of 300 feet on final, a missed approach procedure was initiated when the captain thought he had a visual contact with the runway. He decided to continue the approach when the airplane contacted water and crashed into the sea less than one km short of runway threshold. A passenger was killed while 18 others were injured. The airplane was destroyed,

Aircraft reference details include registration YR-TPH, MSN 78A277, year of manufacture 1978.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 20.9127°, -17.0503°.

Fatalities

Total

1

Crew

0

Passengers

1

Other

0

Crash Summary

On a night approach to Nouadhibou Airport, the crew encountered limited visibility. When the aircraft reached the decision height of 300 feet on final, a missed approach procedure was initiated when the captain thought he had a visual contact with the runway. He decided to continue the approach when the airplane contacted water and crashed into the sea less than one km short of runway threshold. A passenger was killed while 18 others were injured. The airplane was destroyed,

Cause: Human factor

Occupants & Outcome

Crew On Board

16

Passengers On Board

162

Estimated Survivors

177

Fatality Rate

0.6%

Known people on board: 178

Operational Details

Schedule / Flight

Bucharest – Nouadhibou

Flight Type

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Flight Phase

Landing (descent or approach)

Crash Site

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Region / Country

Africa • Mauritania

Aircraft Details

Aircraft

Tupolev TU-154

Registration

YR-TPH

MSN

78A277

Year of Manufacture

1978

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