Algeria military plane crash ‘kills 200 people’

MANY people are feared to have died in a military plane crash near the military base of Boufarik in Algeria.

Local sources have been quoted as saying the death toll could exceed 200.

TV news reports said 14 ambulances were at the scene and injured people were being transferred to hospital.

The Algerie Presse service agency said the Iliouchine-type plane was headed for Bechar in southwestern Algeria.

Algeria military plane crash ‘kills 200 people’

Algeria is a country in north western Africa, it is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea in north, Morocco in west, Mauritania and Mali in south west, Niger in south east, Libyaand Tunisia in east and it has a small border stretch to Western Sahara in west. Algeria shares maritime borders with Italy and Spain.

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ETA: Scores killed as Ilyushin Il-76 plane crashes in Algeria

ETA2: Just wondering: Russian built plane. Algerian military. Former French colony. Everybody waiting for France, UK, US military reaction to supposed chemical attack in Syria. Could this be more than an accident? What would be the angle? What are Algeria's relations with Syria, Russia,...?


ETA3:

a reply to: MindBodySpiritComplex

Didn't Algeria recently cancel a big arms deal with Russia due to the price of Oil?

That's the only Link I can think of

a reply to: Briles1207

UPDATE: At least 257 dead ! link



It is entirely possible that there is no link whatsoever. However after giving a quick glance to the following articles I came to the conclusion that this plane crash probably was not an accident!

Aug 7 2016
How Algeria (yes, Algeria!) could hold key to Syrian peace

Dec 14 2016
What Algeria's 'Black War' Can Teach Us About the Syrian Crisis

Feb 19 2018
Russia to develop military-technical cooperation with Algeria

2007
Russia And Algeria: Partners Or Competitors?

Algeria currently enjoys very strong relations with Russia.

Algeria–Russia relations (Wikipedia)


Mar 31 2018

number of African countries took delivery of military hardware from Russia last year, such as long-time customer Algeria. It received the last six of 14 Su-30MKA fighters; six more Mi-28NE attack helicopters (42 were ordered in 2013) and T-90SA tanks (out of an order for 200).

Although not mentioned by the Commission for Military-Technical Cooperation, Algeria has also recently acquired TOS-1 rocket launchers and Buk-M2E surface-to-air missiles and ordered BMPT Terminator tank support vehicles from Russia, while it is expecting delivery of Kilo class submarines.

Algeria’s receipt of four Iskander-E short range ballistic missiles was confirmed. The system has a range of around 300 km with a 480 kg warhead (fragmentation, blast fragmentation or penetration warheads). Each launch vehicle carries two missiles and each missile regiment includes around thirty vehicles (launchers, loaders, command, logistics vehicles etc.). Algeria is the second export customer for the system after Armenia

Russian Arms Exports to Africa, 2017

Mar 12 2018
Russian Iskander-E ballistic missiles delivered to Algeria

Oct 9 2017
Russia Ready to Offer Nuclear Technology to Algeria

Mar 15 2018
Renault Russia convinces Algeria of component quality

Algeria is the only few Arab countries that maintains tie with the Syrian Government under Bashar al-Assad, a legacy that left due to the rifts of Algeria from Saudi Arabia for the Algerian Civil War. As such, Algeria has vehemently opposed the other Arab countries' decisions to arm the Syrian opposition amidst the conflict in Syria due to Algeria's historical trauma, and quietly supports the Syrian Government.

Algeria–Syria relations (Wikipedia)

Sept 24 2017
Algeria Wants Syria Reinstated to Arab League

Oct 7 2017
Syria-Algeria Discuss Boosting Trade Exchange

Jan 14 2018
Russia writes off debts of Iraq, Syria, Algeria

Sep 24 2017
Algeria renews support to Syria in fighting terrorism

a reply to: MindBodySpiritComplex

Once a friend from Russia told me Algeria is their "brother" as in brother country. Very casual friend and language barrier but that always stuck in my head. I think for sure they are very close allies maybe somewhat covertly?

a reply to: MindBodySpiritComplex

Yes, this probably WAS an accident. There is currently no evidence, beyond it being a Russian aircraft that it wasn't. It happened just after takeoff, the most common time for an accident to happen. Algeria isn't exactly known for their maintenance record being great.

ETA: The Il-76 is designed for 140 troops or 125 paratroopers.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: MindBodySpiritComplex

Yes, this probably WAS an accident. There is currently no evidence, beyond it being a Russian aircraft that it wasn't. It happened just after takeoff, the most common time for an accident to happen. Algeria isn't exactly known for their maintenance record being great.

ETA: The Il-76 is designed for 140 troops or 125 paratroopers.

You are almost certainly right. I had the unpleasant opportunity to fly the Il-76 on a contract basis out of Uzbehistan several years ago. They are old. Designed in the 60s, most were built in the 70s in Tashkent, although a few were modernized, sort of, in the 90s. The airframe is good but the engines and avionics are junk. They will carry whatever you can fit in it, but if an engine craps out, the other 3 will only fly you to the scene of the crash. At least 80 have crashed, causing big black smoking holes in Russia, Armenia, Yugoslavia, India, Iran, the Congo, Uganda, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and now, Algeria. You can buy one of the ones that hasn't crashed (yet) pretty cheaply. I am really glad that contract ended and I got a 747 gig.

Several people were seen jumping just before the crash, and 5 people are reported in critical condition. A witness reported flames from one engine on takeoff.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
Several people were seen jumping just before the crash, and 5 people are reported in critical condition. A witness reported flames from one engine on takeoff.

The engine fire makes sense. The aircraft was a TD model of the il-76MD, which means it had the Perm (Aviadvigatel)PS90-76 engines, notorious for uncontained failures. It's a high bypass fan with big fan blades. If one lets go, or a part of the disc departs, fuel and hydraulic lines can be severed and a fire results. They must have used a shoehorn to get 257 people on it. It could carry the weight with no problems (as long as all 4 engines turned) but the standard passenger seating was for 120 pax. One neat feature of the 76 was that you could change tire pressures in flight to cope with different runway conditions like a wet runway. Since dynamic hydroplaning occurs at a speed of 6.9 times the square root of tire pressure you could raise tire pressure to combat hydroplaning.