Brazzaville – N’Djamena – Paris

On September 19, 1989 at 01:59 PM, Brazzaville – N’Djamena – Paris experienced a crash involving Douglas DC-10, operated by Union des Transports Aériens - UTA, with the event recorded near Niger All Niger.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was flight at a desert crash site.

170 people were known to be on board, 170 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 14, crew fatalities: 14, passengers on board: 156, passenger fatalities: 156, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is terrorism act, hijacking, sabotage. The DC-10 departed N'Djamena Airport at 1313LT bound for Paris-Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Forty-six minutes later, while cruising at an altitude of 35,000 feet over Niger, the aircraft disappeared from radar screens and the crew did not send any distress call. It was quickly understood that the aircraft exploded in mid-air and crashed somewhere in the desert. SAR operations were initiated and the wreckage was found a day later in the Ténéré Desert, about 650 km north of N'Djamena, northeast from the Termit Mountain Range. Debris scattered on 100 km2 and none of the 170 occupants survived the crash.

Aircraft reference details include registration N54629, MSN 46852, year of manufacture 1973.