BEIRUT — 2010 · Major Tragedy
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 Disaster
In the early hours of 25 January 2010, in stormy weather, an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-800 bound for Addis Ababa crashed into the Mediterranean minutes after taking off from Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport. All 90 people on board, 82 passengers and 8 crew, were killed, making it the deadliest air disaster in Lebanon's history. Sabotage was speculated in the first days, but the Lebanese-led investigation, assisted by international experts, concluded that the pilots mishandled the aircraft and lost control. The airline disputed the report, arguing that other factors may have played a role.
- Date
- 2010
- Place
- Mount Lebanon, Lebanon, Beirut, LB
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 33.7700, 35.4300 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 25 January 2010The aircraft crashed into the sea off Beirut shortly after take-off.
- February 2010Wreckage and flight recorders were recovered from the seabed.
- 17 January 2012The Lebanese investigation report attributed the crash to piloting errors.
- 2012The airline formally disputed the report.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 en.wikipedia.org ↗
- BAAA — Crash of a Boeing 737-8AS off Beirut: 90 killed baaa-acro.com ↗
- Aviation Safety Network — Investigation report (PDF) asn.flightsafety.org ↗
- Wikipedia
- Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives
- Aviation Safety Network
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.