Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 1103 was a Boeing 727-2L5[note 1] with 10 crew and 147 passengers on board that collided with a LARAFMikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 on 22 December 1992. All 157 people on board flight 1103 were killed, while the crew of the MiG-23 ejected and survived. It was the deadliest aviation disaster to occur in Libya at the time.[1]
On 22 December 1992 Flight 1103 took off from Benina International Airport near Benghazi on a domestic flight to Tripoli International Airport under the command of Captain Ali Al-Faqih, First Officer Mahmoud Issa, Trainee First Officer Abed Al-Jalil Al-Zarrouq, and Flight Engineer Salem Abu Sitta. At an altitude of 3,500 ft (1,070 m) during the Boeing 727's approach to Tripoli airport, the aircraft tail collided with a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 right wing and disintegrated, resulting in the death of all 157 passengers and crew.[2] The two crew members of the MiG-23 ejected before impact and survived.
Investigation and aftermath
The official explanation and air accident investigation report both blamed a collision with a Libyan Air ForceMiG-23; the pilot and instructor of the MiG were imprisoned.[3][4]
After the crash, a spokesman for the Libyan Civil Authority stated he had been forbidden from releasing any information about the crash, including which planes had been involved.[5] A mass grave was prepared for the victims outside of Tripoli with poor international relations denying the bodies of international victims being returned to their families.[6]
Twenty years later, after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, Major Abdel Majid Al-Tayari, the instructor in the MiG-23 aircraft, challenged the official version of events, claiming that Flight 1103 was deliberately destroyed, because he saw its tail falling before his aircraft suffered a strong impact (from either the shock wave of the explosion that destroyed the Boeing 727 or a piece of wreckage) and he was forced to eject from his aircraft along with his trainee, Lieutenant Colonel Ahmed Abu Sneina.[7] In a statement Al-Tayari claims there was no air collision, but conceded that the planes were too close to one another.[8]
Ali Aujali, who served as a Libyan diplomat both under Gaddafi and under the National Transitional Council, claims that Gaddafi ordered that the Boeing 727, whose flight was assigned the number 1103, be shot down exactly four years to the day after the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in order to demonstrate the negative effects of international sanctions imposed on Libya.[9] According to Aujali, the dictator originally ordered a bomb with a timer to be in the aircraft, but when this failed to explode, he "ordered the [aircraft] to be knocked out of the sky".[10] The widow of one British victim has claimed Libyan families of victims had asked if she had tested her husband's passports for explosive residue.[11]
Memorials
The first memorial for the crash was held near Tripoli, Libya in 2012.[11] The ceremony was attended by families and friends of the victims, and politicians.[12]
^The aircraft was a Boeing 727-200 model; Boeing assigns a unique code for each company that buys one of its aircraft, which is applied as an infix to the model number at the time the aircraft is built, hence "727-2L5" for a Boeing 727-200 built for Libyan Arab Airlines.
^Ranter, Harro. "Aircraft accident Boeing 727-2L5 5A-DIA Tripoli International Airport (TIP)". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
^Sharqieh, Ibrahim (December 2013). "Reconstructing Libya: Stability Through National Reconciliation" (PDF). Brookings Doha Center Analysis Paper: 1–41.
^(PDF). caa.ly (in Arabic). Libyan Civil Aviation Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 March 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
^Simpson, Paul (2014). The Mammoth Book of Air Disasters and Near Misses. London: Robinson. ISBN978-1780338286.
^"Libyan jet crashes, killing 158, apparently after mid-air collision". UPI. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
^El Shammaa, Dina (18 June 2011). . Gulf News. Archived from the original on 30 May 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
^Campbell, Glenn (4 January 2013). "Calls to re-open Libya plane 'crash' investigation". BBC News. BBC.
^"'No mid-air collision' in 1992 Libya air disaster". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
^"Flight 1103". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
^Olgiati, Christopher (2 February 2014). "Libya: Muammar Gaddafi's secrets finally revealed". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
^ abBorland, Ben (22 July 2012). "Tests could reveal Gaddafi bomb plot". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
^"20 years on, families want truth of 'Libyan Lockerbie'". MoroccoWorldNews (in Arabic). Retrieved 28 May 2018.
libyan, arab, airlines, flight, 1103, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, schol. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 1103 news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2015 Learn how and when to remove this template message Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 1103 was a Boeing 727 2L5 note 1 with 10 crew and 147 passengers on board that collided with a LARAF Mikoyan Gurevich MiG 23 on 22 December 1992 All 157 people on board flight 1103 were killed while the crew of the MiG 23 ejected and survived It was the deadliest aviation disaster to occur in Libya at the time 1 Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 1103AccidentDate22 December 1992SummaryMid Air collision cause of it DisputedSitenear Tripoli International Airport Tripoli LibyaTotal fatalities157Total survivors2First aircraft5A DIA the Boeing 727 involved in May 1986TypeBoeing 727 200OperatorLibyan Arab AirlinesRegistration5A DIAFlight originBenina International AirportDestinationTripoli International AirportPassengers147Crew10Fatalities157Survivors0Second aircraftA Libyan Air Force MiG 23 similar to the one involvedTypeMikoyan Gurevich MiG 23OperatorLibyan Air ForceRegistrationUnknownCrew2Fatalities0Survivors2 all Contents 1 Crash 2 Investigation and aftermath 3 Memorials 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 External linksCrash EditOn 22 December 1992 Flight 1103 took off from Benina International Airport near Benghazi on a domestic flight to Tripoli International Airport under the command of Captain Ali Al Faqih First Officer Mahmoud Issa Trainee First Officer Abed Al Jalil Al Zarrouq and Flight Engineer Salem Abu Sitta At an altitude of 3 500 ft 1 070 m during the Boeing 727 s approach to Tripoli airport the aircraft tail collided with a Mikoyan Gurevich MiG 23 right wing and disintegrated resulting in the death of all 157 passengers and crew 2 The two crew members of the MiG 23 ejected before impact and survived Investigation and aftermath EditThe official explanation and air accident investigation report both blamed a collision with a Libyan Air Force MiG 23 the pilot and instructor of the MiG were imprisoned 3 4 After the crash a spokesman for the Libyan Civil Authority stated he had been forbidden from releasing any information about the crash including which planes had been involved 5 A mass grave was prepared for the victims outside of Tripoli with poor international relations denying the bodies of international victims being returned to their families 6 Twenty years later after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi Major Abdel Majid Al Tayari the instructor in the MiG 23 aircraft challenged the official version of events claiming that Flight 1103 was deliberately destroyed because he saw its tail falling before his aircraft suffered a strong impact from either the shock wave of the explosion that destroyed the Boeing 727 or a piece of wreckage and he was forced to eject from his aircraft along with his trainee Lieutenant Colonel Ahmed Abu Sneina 7 In a statement Al Tayari claims there was no air collision but conceded that the planes were too close to one another 8 Ali Aujali who served as a Libyan diplomat both under Gaddafi and under the National Transitional Council claims that Gaddafi ordered that the Boeing 727 whose flight was assigned the number 1103 be shot down exactly four years to the day after the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in order to demonstrate the negative effects of international sanctions imposed on Libya 9 According to Aujali the dictator originally ordered a bomb with a timer to be in the aircraft but when this failed to explode he ordered the aircraft to be knocked out of the sky 10 The widow of one British victim has claimed Libyan families of victims had asked if she had tested her husband s passports for explosive residue 11 Memorials EditThe first memorial for the crash was held near Tripoli Libya in 2012 11 The ceremony was attended by families and friends of the victims and politicians 12 See also EditFlight 706 F 4 Phantom DC 9 mid air collision disaster Gol Transportes Aereos Flight 1907 1983 Negev mid air collision Iran Air Flight 655 1993 Tehran mid air collision 1997 Israeli helicopter disasterNotes Edit The aircraft was a Boeing 727 200 model Boeing assigns a unique code for each company that buys one of its aircraft which is applied as an infix to the model number at the time the aircraft is built hence 727 2L5 for a Boeing 727 200 built for Libyan Arab Airlines References Edit Boeing 727 Crashes in Libya Flight International 6 12 January 1993 p 8 Ranter Harro Aircraft accident Boeing 727 2L5 5A DIA Tripoli International Airport TIP aviation safety net Aviation Safety Network Retrieved 24 April 2010 Sharqieh Ibrahim December 2013 Reconstructing Libya Stability Through National Reconciliation PDF Brookings Doha Center Analysis Paper 1 41 Collision report between Libyan Arab Airlines Boeing 727 200 5A DIA and military aircraft MiG 23 8428 on 22 December 1992 near Tripoli International Airport PDF caa ly in Arabic Libyan Civil Aviation Authority Archived from the original PDF on 21 March 2016 Retrieved 21 September 2019 Simpson Paul 2014 The Mammoth Book of Air Disasters and Near Misses London Robinson ISBN 978 1780338286 Libyan jet crashes killing 158 apparently after mid air collision UPI Retrieved 28 May 2018 El Shammaa Dina 18 June 2011 Victim s wife wants Gaddafi tried for role in 1992 aircraft collision Gulf News Archived from the original on 30 May 2018 Retrieved 28 May 2018 Campbell Glenn 4 January 2013 Calls to re open Libya plane crash investigation BBC News BBC No mid air collision in 1992 Libya air disaster HeraldScotland Retrieved 28 May 2018 Flight 1103 www aljazeera com Retrieved 28 May 2018 Olgiati Christopher 2 February 2014 Libya Muammar Gaddafi s secrets finally revealed BBC News BBC Retrieved 2 February 2014 a b Borland Ben 22 July 2012 Tests could reveal Gaddafi bomb plot Express co uk Retrieved 28 May 2018 20 years on families want truth of Libyan Lockerbie MoroccoWorldNews in Arabic Retrieved 28 May 2018 External links EditAl Jazeera documentary on Flight 1103 on YouTube Portals Libya Aviation 1990s Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 1103 amp oldid 1145974640, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
