Air Crash Investigation - Attack Over Baghdad (S03E02)

On 22 November 2003, shortly after takeoff from Baghdad, Iraq, an Airbus A300 cargo plane owned by European Air Transport ("DHL") was struck on the left wing tip by a surface-to-air missile. Severe wing damage resulted in a fire and complete loss of hydraulic flight control systems. Because outboard left wing fuel tank 1A was full at takeoff, there was no fuel-air vapour explosion. Liquid jet fuel dropped away as 1A disintegrated. Inboard fuel tank 1 was pierced and leaking.

Returning to Baghdad, the 3-man crew made an injury-free landing of the crippled aircraft, using differential engine thrust as the only pilot input.

Paris Match Reporter Claudine Vernier-Palliez accompanied a Fedayeen commando unit on their strike mission against the DHL aircraft.

Sara Daniel, a French weekly newsmagazine journalist claimed receipt, from an unknown source, of a video that showed insurgents, faces concealed, firing a missile at the A300. Daniel was researching a feature about Iraqi resistance groups but she disclaimed any specific knowledge of the people who carried out the attack, despite being present at the moment of attack.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Air Crash Investigation
• Air Emergency
• Mayday
• ACI
• Attack Over Baghdad
• DHL
• European Air Transportt
• Airbus A300
• Cargo
• Cargo Plane
• Baghdad
• Claudine Vernier-Palliez
• Shootdown
• OO-DLL
• landing
• airport

[AtheistBrit]

I think this is one of my favourite episodes. That crew are simply amazing. Being able to do what no other flight crew has ever managed to do, and they were relatively inexperienced cargo pilots! Absolutely incredible.

[stohii]

Incredible flying!These pilots are heroes in my eyes.I work for TNT as Airport coordinator and contact every day with Belgian pilots/most of TNT fleet is Belgian/

and I can say that they are very intelligent and highly skilled professionals.

Thanks for the upload!

[Rentta]

@stohii tnt ?

[MerlinVI]

Why when they show the new system working flying a plane with no hydraulics are the aircrafts flaps down, With no hydraulics there are no flaps so the testing was carried out at normal approach speeds and with a more stable aircraft, Some test eh?

[sydahsan]

Funny how the narrator calls them 'terrorists', whereas the real terrorists are the people who invaded the country, showered bombs, destroyed everything inside, killed the civilians, tortured to death the men, raped their women, dragged children to death, and what not... And all for the oil...

[MrsNorris55]

I was in journalism for 20 years; never got near a battle, but I am nonetheless baffled by the apparent confusion and horror of these journalists. "This is not the story they came for"??? Um, did you miss the part about this being a WAR ZONE?! Why would you assume, even for a moment, that people here are going to tamely fall in with whatever script you had?

[eman83a]

just a side note... abu abdulla is an iraqi but he is speaking egyptian!!! lol

[Nerfsquaduk]

@dabois85 l-1011

[VERGIS92]

in ww2, an American 4 engine bomber over germany was hit by AA guns and lost its whole tail, they managed to control by engines alone and land safely

[dailylegend]

Alleen een belg kan zo'n vliegtuig landen :)

Only a belgian could have landed that plane :)

[dabois85]

Someone else has probly mentioned this but why is the plane they show at 7:50 what looks like a MD-11 or similar