ASN Aircraft accident SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc OD-ABU Beirut International Airport (BEY)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Wednesday 6 January 1954
Time:03:52
Type:Silhouette image of generic s161 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc
Operator:Air Liban
Registration: OD-ABU
MSN: 14
First flight: 1945
Crew:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Total:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 9
Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair
Location:Beirut International Airport (BEY) (   Lebanon)
Phase: Takeoff (TOF)
Nature:International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Beirut International Airport (BEY/OLBA), Lebanon
Destination airport:Kuwait International Airport (KWI/OKBK), Kuwait
Narrative:
The aircraft using runway 18 was departing on a flight Kuwait. The aircraft behaved normally on takeoff for the first 450 meters until it reached its critical speed (90 mph) when it swerved to the left. The captain took corrective action and the aircraft traveled a further 50 meters parallel to the centre line of the runway and then suddenly swerved to the right. Corrective action to prevent the swing was in vain and the throttles were closed and brakes applied. The aircraft continued to swerve and 70 meters further on, left the runway. The speed at this time was about 50-60 mph. After leaving the runway, the aircraft rotated 70deg to the left, the left landing gear collapsed and the aircraft burst into flames.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The accident was due to a loss of power followed by a sudden picking up of no. 1 engine, added to the inherent tendency of the aircraft to veer to the left. The flight engineer noticed this loss of power but did not warn the pilot before checking the instruments at his own station. Having noticed that his instruments read normally, and finding, on turning back to the pilot's panel, that the engine had picked up, he did not consider it necessary to report the loss of power to the pilot-in-command. The pilot-in-command must have presumed the swerving of the aircraft to be normal and have corrected the motion of the aircraft on that basis. Owing to the complexity of the flight engineer's duties on take-off and to the fact that he had to stand, thus being subject to inertia and centrifugal forces, he was hampered and delayed in his motions. The aircraft was destroyed as a result of the fact that, in running over sandy ground its left wheel sank into a soft spot causing the Ieft attachment fitting of the left landing gear to break. In collapsing, the landing-gear caused no. 1 and, no. 2 engines to come into contact with the ground. The fuel cocks and the cut-off valves were not closed. Fire broke out on the left wing, and destroyed the aircraft."

Classification:
Runway excursion

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Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Beirut International Airport to Kuwait International Airport as the crow flies is 1279 km (799 miles).

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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