Bratislava – Ghardaïa – Kano

On May 10, 2014 at 08:00 PM, Bratislava – Ghardaïa – Kano experienced a crash involving Fokker 100, operated by IRS Airlines, with the event recorded near Ganla Zinder.

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

2 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 2 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

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

Following a C-Check at Bratislava Airport, the aircraft was returning to its base in Kano, Nigeria, with an intermediate stop in Ghardaïa. While flying over the Niger airspace, the crew was in contact with Niamey ATC when he apparently encountered poor weather conditions (sand storm) and lost all communications. The exact circumstances of the accident are unclear, but it is believed that the crew was forced to attempt an emergency landing due to fuel shortage. The aircraft landed in a desert area located in the region of the Ganla beacon, south of Niger. Upon landing, the aircraft lost its undercarriage and slid for few dozen metres before coming to rest. Both pilots evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The wreckage was found about 190 km north of Kano.

Aircraft reference details include registration 5N-SIK, MSN 11286, year of manufacture 1989.