Date: September 19th, 1989
Type: DC-10-30
Registration: N54629
Operator: Union de Transportes A‚riens - UTA
Where: T‚n‚r‚ desert; 16ø54'N 11ø59'E (Niger)
Report No.: Not Available
Report Date: -
Pages: -

This is not an accident investigation report.

Flight UTA 772 (Brazzaville - N'Djamena - Paris CDG) departed N'Djamena, Chad at 12.13h, bound for Paris, the second part of the flight originating at Brazzaville, in the Congo. While climbing through FL350, 21mins after take-off, a pentharite bomb exploded near seat 13R. The DC-10 disintegrated and crashed in the desert,over Niger, in the vicinity of Bilma.

Wreakage was spread over an area of 50 square miles in the Tenere Desert, a region of the Sahara. All 171 on board were killed, including the crew of 14.

The bomb was probably placed on board at Brazzaville, traces of the explosive pentharite were identified in the French investigation. The device is suspected to have been in the forward baggage comprtment. It is suspected that the bomb was carried on by a Congolese man, who embarked as a passenger at Brazzaville and left the aircraft at Ndjamena.

The DC-10 had accumulated 60.267 flying hours and 14.777 cycles.