Boufarik – Béchar – Tindouf

On April 11, 2018 at 07:50 AM, Boufarik – Béchar – Tindouf experienced a crash involving Ilyushin II-76, operated by Algerian Air Force - Al Quwwat Aljawwija Aljaza'Eriiya, with the event recorded near Boufarik AFB Blida.

The flight was categorized as military and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

257 people were known to be on board, 257 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: 247, passenger fatalities: 247, other fatalities: 0.

The aircraft was engaged in a troop transport from Boufarik to Tindouf with an intermediate stop in Béchar, west Algeria, and was carrying 247 soldiers and their family members and 10 crew members. Shortly after takeoff from the Boufarik AFB located some 25 km southwest of Algiers, while climbing to a height of about 150 meters, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in an agricultural zone located near the airport, bursting into flames. The airplane was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. It was quickly confirmed by the Algerian Authorities that none of the 257 occupants survived the crash, among them 26 members of the Front Polisario. According to first testimonies, it appears that the left wing (engine?) was on fire when control was lost.

Aircraft reference details include registration 7T-WIV, MSN 1043419649, year of manufacture 1994.