Summary
Highlights
On October 4th, 1992, El Al Flight 1862, a 747 cargo plane, took off from Amsterdam and eight minutes after take-off, crashed into a crowded apartment block in the Belma suburb. The crash killed 43 people and destroyed 31 apartments. The investigation aimed to determine how a routine flight could lead to such a catastrophic event, especially considering the plane flew steadily for several minutes after reporting an emergency before suddenly nose-diving.
Initially, investigators suspected terrorism, given the unusual simultaneous failure of two engines on the right wing. The search focused on finding the plane's black boxes and engine debris to uncover evidence. A crucial witness reported seeing two objects falling from the plane shortly after the initial incident, leading divers to search Goyir Lake. The discovery of the outer engine and parts of the wing there helped rule out an explosion, as no explosive traces were found.
Despite initial setbacks, including the damaged flight data recorder and the hasty clearing of the crash site, investigators eventually found the inner engine in Goyir Lake. This engine was still attached to its mounting. Examination revealed a snapped lug and, more critically, a 4mm deep crack in a fuse pin within the central fitting, exhibiting classic signs of metal fatigue. This microscopic fault proved to be the root cause of the inner engine's detachment.
The investigation concluded that the fatigue-induced failure of the inner engine's fuse pins caused it to shear off. Rather than falling harmlessly, the inner engine shot forward and then fell back, striking and detaching the outer engine. This impact also ripped away a 10-meter section of the wing's leading edge, severely disrupting airflow and causing the plane to roll violently to the right. The pilots' attempt to slow the plane for landing exacerbated the loss of lift on the damaged wing, leading to the final uncontrolled descent and crash.
The crash of El Al Flight 1862 highlighted critical design flaws. Boeing subsequently strengthened all 747 engine-to-wing attachments, including the fuse pins, and implemented a more stringent inspection regime with new ultrasound testing to detect metal fatigue. These changes significantly improved the safety of 747 aircraft worldwide, ensuring that such a catastrophic chain of events would be less likely to occur again.