Saturday, 4 May 2024

On this day in history - the 4th of May

The Superga air disaster, also known as the Tragedy of Superga, occurred on the 4th of May 1949. The aircraft departed at 09:52 and stopped for refueling in Barcelona at 13:15. The aircraft then departed Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN/LEBL) for Torino-Aeritalia Airport (LIMA). The weather around Torino was poor, with visibility at the airport being 1200 meters and a cloud base at 400 meters. Near the 675-meter-tall Superga Hill, visibility dropped to just 40 meters. A Fiat G.212 of Avio Linee Italiane, which was carrying the entire Torino football team, famously called Grande Torino, struck the rear of the Basilica of Superga's retaining wall on a hill near Torino. The tragic crash led to the loss of all thirty-one people on board.

Aircraft Information:
Airline: Avio Linee Italiane - ALI
Aircraft: Fiat G.212CP
Registration: I-ELCE
Serial Number: 05
Engines: 3 x Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp
First Flew: 1947
Age: 2 years


EAS Airlines Flight 4226, a scheduled domestic flight from Kano to Lagos, Nigeria, met with tragedy on the 4th of May 2002. The aircraft, a BAC One-Eleven 525FT carrying 69 passengers and 8 crew members, crashed into the Gwammaja Quarters, a densely populated residential area about three kilometers from the airport. The crash and subsequent fire claimed the lives of 66 passengers and 7 crew members. Additionally, no fewer than 30 civilians on the ground perished. With 103 fatalities, Flight 4226 stands as the deadliest accident involving a BAC One-Eleven aircraft.

Aircraft Information:
Airline: EAS Airlines
Code: EXW
Aircraft: BAC One-Eleven 525FT
Registration: 5N-ESF
Serial Number: 
Engines: 2 x Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan
First Flew: 1980
Age: 22 Years


An Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia, operated by African Express Airways, was reportedly shot down by the Ethiopian National Defense Force during its approach to Berdale. The aircraft was on a chartered cargo flight from Baidoa Airport (BIB/HCMB) on the 4th of May 2020. All six individuals on board, comprising four passengers and two crew members, perished in the crash. The plane was transporting medical supplies intended for COVID-19 relief efforts in Somalia, in addition to mosquito nets.
Ethiopian soldiers believed it was a suicide plane trying to find a target in the base camp. It was then shot down using a ZU-23 anti-aircraft cannon.

Aircraft Information:
Airline: African Express Airways
Aircraft: Embraer EMB-120RT Brasilia
Registration: 5Y-AXO
Serial Number: 120259
Engines: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW115 turboprop
First Flew: 1992
Age: 28 Years


       MAY THE 4th BE WITH YOU TODAY

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