Fatal Events Since 1970 for
Saudi Arabian Airlines
The following events are those involving at least one passenger death where the aircraft flight had a direct or indirect role. Excluded would be events where the only passengers killed were stowaways, hijackers, or saboteurs.
- 19 August 1980; Saudia L1011-200; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: The crew turned back shortly after takeoff after a fire broke out in the aft cargo compartment. The aircraft was able to execute a safe landing, but the crew was unable to open the emergency exits due to the smoke and fire. All 14 crew members and 287 passengers were killed.
- 23 December 1980; Saudia L1011-200; Arabian Gulf, near Saudi Arabia: Two passengers were blown out of the aircraft after a tire explosion in the wheel well Two of the 288 passengers were killed.
- 12 November 1996; Saudi Arabian Airlines 747-100; near New Delhi, India: The departing 747 had a midair collision with an inbound Kazakhstan Air Lines Ilyushin 76 cargo jet about seven minutes after the 747 had departed New Delhi. The collision occurred near Charkhi Dadri, about 60 miles (96 km) west of New Delhi. All 23 crew members and 289 passengers on the 747 were killed. The 10 crew members and 27 passengers on the Ilyushin were also killed.
8 September 2005; Saudi Arabian Airlines 747-300; Colombo, Sri Lanka:
While taxiing for takeoff on an international flight from Colombo to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, air traffic controllers received an anonymous telephone call concerning a possible bomb on the aircraft. The crew was informed about this call and elected to perform an emergency evacuation. As a result of the evacuation, there were 62 injuries among the 430 passengers and 22 crew members. One of the passengers died as a result of injuries received during the evacuation, and 19 passengers were hospitalized. No explosive devices were found after a search of the aircraft.
Fatal Events for Airlines of Africa and the Middle East
http://airsafe.com/events/airlines/saudia.htm -- Revised: 22 February 2008
