Meridian Flight 3032: Difference between revisions

Meridian Flight 3032
	UR-CIC, the aircraft involved in the accident, seven days before the crash.
Occurrence
Date	16 July 2022
Summary	Crashed, under investigation
Site	16 km (10 mi) west of Kavala International Airport, Kavala, Greece ; 40°58′N 24°12′E / 40.967°N 24.200°E
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Antonov An-12BK
Operator	Meridian
ICAO flight No.	MEM3032
Call sign	MERIDIAN CHERRY 3032
Registration	UR-CIC
Flight origin	Niš Constantine the Great Airport, Niš, Serbia
1st stopover	Queen Alia International Airport, Amman, Jordan
2nd stopover	King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
3rd stopover	Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, India
Destination	Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Occupants	8
Crew	8
Fatalities	8
Survivors	0

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Latest revision as of 12:29, 6 September 2024

Meridian Flight 3032 was an Antonov An-12BK which crashed in July 2022 near Antiphilippi, Kavala, Greece while trying to make an emergency landing at Kavala International Airport.^[1]^[2]

It was carrying 11.5 tonnes (11,500 kg; 25,000 lb) of munitions when it crashed, which continued exploding until the next day, hindering the inspection of the crash site.

Aircraft

The aircraft involved first flew in 1971.^[3] It was acquired by Ukrainian cargo carrier Aviation Company Meridian in January 2022 and re-registered as UR-CIC.^[3]^[4]

Crew and cargo

The eight crew members, all Ukrainian citizens, died in the crash.^[5]

According to Serbian defence minister Nebojša Stefanović, the aircraft's cargo was some 11 tonnes of Serbian-made weapons and ammunition, including mortar shells.^[6]^[5]

Incident

The flight originated in Niš, Serbia and was bound for Dhaka, Bangladesh, with stops in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and India.^[7]

The aircraft departed from Niš at 18:36 UTC, with some 11 tonnes of ammunition on board, scheduled to arrive at Dhaka. Intermediate stops were planned in Amman, Riyadh and Ahmedabad.^{[citation needed]}

Eyewitness accounts and video showed that the plane was on fire before it crashed.^[5]^[8]

Secondary explosions were heard for up to two hours after the crash.^[5] Residents within a two kilometres (1.2 mi) radius were advised to close windows and stay indoors, while emergency responders, explosives experts and staff from the Greek Atomic Energy Commission were unable to inspect the wreckage due to uncertainty about the nature and state of any remaining cargo and residues.^[6] Drones were used instead to examine the wreckage.^[6]

Weapons destination

Amid speculation that the weapons were destined for Ukraine, Serbia's defence minister Nebojša Stefanović stated that the weapons shipment was not linked to the Russo-Ukrainian War, and the Bangladesh Armed Forces confirmed that they were the intended recipients of the weapons,^[9] which they bought from a Polish-owned Bosnian company BA-METALEXPORT.^[10]

Given Serbia's policy of oscillating between the West and Russia and Serbia's weapons industry and political corruption, political scientist Vuk Vuksanovic continued to question whether the plane was indeed transporting Serbian weapons to Ukraine.^[11]

Investigation

An investigation was opened by the Air Accident Investigation and Aviation Safety Board (AAIASB) with the support of the National Bureau of Air Accidents Investigation of Ukraine (NNBAAI). The Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung (BFU) of Germany was able to download the Cockpit voice recorder that are providing all the essential data to the investigation.^[7]

The investigation found that the airplane was involved in another incident one month before the crash on June 19, 2022. As of December 2023 the investigation is still ongoing and no final report is released.^[8]

References

^ Kantouris, Costas; Nellas, Demetris (July 17, 2022). "Cargo plane operated by Ukraine carrier crashes in Greece". ABC News.
^ "Cargo plane crashes near Greece's northern city of Kavala". Reuters. July 17, 2022.
^ ^a ^b "Registration Details For UR-CIC (Aviation Company Meridian) Antonov An-12BK - PlaneLogger". PlaneLogger. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
^ Talia Kayali, Chris Liakos and Teele Rebane. "Plane crash in Greece kills eight people". CNN. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Plane carrying munitions crashes in Greece killing all onboard". The Guardian. 2022-07-17. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Greece plane crash: Cargo aircraft was carrying weapons to Bangladesh - minister". BBC News. 17 July 2022.
^ ^a ^b Hradecky, Simon (2022-07-16). "Crash: Meridian AN12 near Kavala on Jul 16th 2022, impacted ground after engine trouble". avherald.com. The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
^ ^a ^b Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Antonov An-12BK UR-CIC Kavala". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
^ "All eight crew members killed in cargo plane crash in northern Greece". France 24. 2022-07-17. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
^ "Crashed Plane was Flying Arms for Polish-Owned Bosnian Company". Balkan Insight. July 26, 2022.
^ "Mystery plane crash: Were Serbian weapons headed for Ukraine?". DW.COM. 2022-07-23. Retrieved 2022-07-26.

External links

[1] Kantouris, Costas; Nellas, Demetris (July 17, 2022). "Cargo plane operated by Ukraine carrier crashes in Greece". ABC News.

[2] "Cargo plane crashes near Greece's northern city of Kavala". Reuters. July 17, 2022.

[PlaneLogger-3] "Registration Details For UR-CIC (Aviation Company Meridian) Antonov An-12BK - PlaneLogger". PlaneLogger. Retrieved 17 July 2022.

[4] Talia Kayali, Chris Liakos and Teele Rebane. "Plane crash in Greece kills eight people". CNN. Retrieved 2022-07-20.

[Guardian-5] "Plane carrying munitions crashes in Greece killing all onboard". The Guardian. 2022-07-17. Retrieved 2022-07-17.

[BBC-62195005-6] "Greece plane crash: Cargo aircraft was carrying weapons to Bangladesh - minister". BBC News. 17 July 2022.

[avherald-7] Hradecky, Simon (2022-07-16). "Crash: Meridian AN12 near Kavala on Jul 16th 2022, impacted ground after engine trouble". avherald.com. The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 2022-07-17.

[ASN-8] Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Antonov An-12BK UR-CIC Kavala". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 2022-07-17.

[9] "All eight crew members killed in cargo plane crash in northern Greece". France 24. 2022-07-17. Retrieved 2022-07-26.

[10] "Crashed Plane was Flying Arms for Polish-Owned Bosnian Company". Balkan Insight. July 26, 2022.

[11] "Mystery plane crash: Were Serbian weapons headed for Ukraine?". DW.COM. 2022-07-23. Retrieved 2022-07-26.

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@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
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 }}
-'''Meridian Flight 3032''' (MEM3032) was an [[Antonov An-12BK]], being operated as Meridian Flight 3032, which crashed near [[Kavala]], [[Greece]] while trying to make an emergency landing at [[Kavala International Airport]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kantouris |first=Costas |last2=Nellas |first2=Demetris |date=July 17, 2022 |title=Cargo plane operated by Ukraine carrier crashes in Greece |work=ABC News |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/plane-crashes-northern-greece-unknown-number-victims-86945641}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=July 17, 2022 |title=Cargo plane crashes near Greece's northern city of Kavala |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/cargo-plane-crashes-near-greeces-northern-city-kavala-2022-07-16/ |website=Reuters}}</ref>
+'''Meridian Flight 3032''' was an [[Antonov An-12BK]] which crashed in July 2022 near [[Antiphilippi]], [[Kavala]], [[Greece]] while trying to make an emergency landing at [[Kavala International Airport]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kantouris |first=Costas |last2=Nellas |first2=Demetris |date=July 17, 2022 |title=Cargo plane operated by Ukraine carrier crashes in Greece |work=ABC News |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/plane-crashes-northern-greece-unknown-number-victims-86945641}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=July 17, 2022 |title=Cargo plane crashes near Greece's northern city of Kavala |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/cargo-plane-crashes-near-greeces-northern-city-kavala-2022-07-16/ |website=Reuters}}</ref>
-It was carrying {{convert|11.5|t|kg lb}} of munitions when it crashed, which continued exploding till the day after, hindering the inspection of the crash site.
+It was carrying {{convert|11.5|t|kg lb}} of munitions when it crashed, which continued exploding until the next day, hindering the inspection of the crash site.
-== Aircraft ==
+==Aircraft==
-The aircraft involved first flew in 1971.<ref name="PlaneLogger">{{cite web |title=Registration Details For UR-CIC (Aviation Company Meridian) Antonov An-12BK - PlaneLogger |url=https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/UR-CIC/1047388 |access-date=17 July 2022 |website=PlaneLogger}}</ref> It was acquired by Ukrainian cargo carrier [[Aviation Company Meridian]] in January 2022 and [[Aircraft registration|re-registered]] as UR-CIC.<ref name="PlaneLogger" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=CNN |first=Talia Kayali, Chris Liakos and Teele Rebane |title=Plane crash in Greece kills eight people |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/17/europe/greece-cargo-plane-crash-intl/index.html |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=CNN}}</ref>
+The aircraft involved first flew in 1971.<ref name="PlaneLogger">{{cite web |title=Registration Details For UR-CIC (Aviation Company Meridian) Antonov An-12BK - PlaneLogger |url=https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/UR-CIC/1047388 |access-date=17 July 2022 |website=PlaneLogger}}</ref> It was acquired by Ukrainian cargo carrier [[Aviation Company Meridian]] in January 2022 and [[Aircraft registration|re-registered]] as UR-CIC.<ref name="PlaneLogger" /><ref>{{Cite web |author=Talia Kayali, Chris Liakos and Teele Rebane |title=Plane crash in Greece kills eight people |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/17/europe/greece-cargo-plane-crash-intl/index.html |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=CNN}}</ref>
-== Crew and cargo ==
+==Crew and cargo==
-The eight crew members, all [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] citizens, perished in the crash.<ref name="Guardian">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-07-17 |title=Plane carrying munitions crashes in Greece killing all onboard |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/16/aircraft-carrying-dangerous-cargo-crashes-in-northern-greece |access-date=2022-07-17 |website=The Guardian}}</ref>
+The eight crew members, all [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] citizens, died in the crash.<ref name="Guardian">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-07-17 |title=Plane carrying munitions crashes in Greece killing all onboard |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/16/aircraft-carrying-dangerous-cargo-crashes-in-northern-greece |access-date=2022-07-17 |website=The Guardian}}</ref>
-According to Serbian defence minister [[Nebojša Stefanović]], the aircraft's cargo was 11.5-tonnes of Serbian-made weapons and ammunition, including mortar shells.<ref name="BBC-62195005">{{cite web |date=17 July 2022 |title=Greece plane crash: Cargo aircraft was carrying weapons to Bangladesh - minister |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-62195005 |website=BBC News}}</ref><ref name="Guardian" />
+According to Serbian defence minister [[Nebojša Stefanović]], the aircraft's cargo was some 11 tonnes of Serbian-made weapons and ammunition, including mortar shells.<ref name="BBC-62195005">{{cite web |date=17 July 2022 |title=Greece plane crash: Cargo aircraft was carrying weapons to Bangladesh - minister |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-62195005 |website=BBC News}}</ref><ref name="Guardian" />
-== Incident ==
+==Incident==
 The flight originated in [[Niš|Niš, Serbia]] and was bound for [[Dhaka]], Bangladesh, with stops in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and India.<ref name="avherald">{{Cite web |last=Hradecky |first=Simon |date=2022-07-16 |title=Crash: Meridian AN12 near Kavala on Jul 16th 2022, impacted ground after engine trouble |url=https://avherald.com/h?article=4fbc119a&opt=0 |access-date=2022-07-17 |website=avherald.com |publisher=[[The Aviation Herald]]}}</ref>
+The aircraft departed from Niš at 18:36 UTC, with some 11 tonnes of ammunition on board, scheduled to arrive at Dhaka. Intermediate stops were planned in [[Amman]], [[Riyadh]] and [[Ahmedabad]].{{cn|date=February 2024}}
-Eyewitness accounts and video showed that the plane was already on fire before it crashed.<ref name="Guardian" /><ref name="ASN">{{Cite web |last=Ranter |first=Harro |title=ASN Aircraft accident Antonov An-12BK UR-CIC Kavala |url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20220716-0 |access-date=2022-07-17 |website=aviation-safety.net |publisher=[[Aviation Safety Network]]}}</ref>
+Eyewitness accounts and video showed that the plane was on fire before it crashed.<ref name="Guardian" /><ref name="ASN">{{Cite web |last=Ranter |first=Harro |title=ASN Aircraft accident Antonov An-12BK UR-CIC Kavala |url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20220716-0 |access-date=2022-07-17 |website=aviation-safety.net |publisher=[[Aviation Safety Network]]}}</ref>
-Secondary explosions were heard for up to two hours after the crash.<ref name="Guardian" /> Residents within a {{convert|2|km|mi|spell=in}} radius were advised to close windows and stay indoors, while emergency responders, explosives experts and staff from the [[Greek Atomic Energy Commission]] were unable to inspect the wreckage due to uncertainty about the nature and state of any remaining cargo and residues.<ref name="BBC-62195005" /> Drones were instead used to examine the wreckage.<ref name="BBC-62195005" />
+Secondary explosions were heard for up to two hours after the crash.<ref name="Guardian" /> Residents within a {{convert|2|km|mi|spell=in}} radius were advised to close windows and stay indoors, while emergency responders, explosives experts and staff from the [[Greek Atomic Energy Commission]] were unable to inspect the wreckage due to uncertainty about the nature and state of any remaining cargo and residues.<ref name="BBC-62195005" /> Drones were used instead to examine the wreckage.<ref name="BBC-62195005" />
-== Weapons destination ==
+==Weapons destination==
-Since the plane was full of weapons and ammunition, there's been speculation that the weapons were destined for Ukraine as part of the [[Russo-Ukrainian War]]. Serbia's defence minister [[Nebojša Stefanović]] has denied this, stating that the weapons shipment was not linked to the War, and the [[Bangladesh Armed Forces]] confirmed that they were the intended recipients of the weapons,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-17 |title=All eight crew members killed in cargo plane crash in northern Greece |url=https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20220717-cargo-plane-carrying-serbian-defence-material-crashes-in-northern-greece |access-date=2022-07-26 |website=France 24}}</ref> which they bought from a Polish-owned Bosnian company BA-METALEXPORT.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 26, 2022 |title= Crashed Plane was Flying Arms for Polish-Owned Bosnian Company |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2022/07/26/crashed-plane-was-flying-arms-for-polish-owned-bosnian-company/ |website=Balkan Insight}}</ref> However, given Serbia's policy of oscillating between the West and Russia, and Serbia's weapons industry and political corruption, political scientist Vuk Vuksanovic did not accept Stefanović's denial and has continued to question whether the plane was indeed transporting Serbian weapons to Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-07-23 |title=Mystery plane crash: Were Serbian weapons headed for Ukraine? |url=https://www.dw.com/en/mystery-plane-crash-were-serbian-weapons-headed-for-ukraine/a-62574069 |access-date=2022-07-26 |website=DW.COM}}</ref>
+Amid speculation that the weapons were destined for Ukraine, Serbia's defence minister [[Nebojša Stefanović]] stated that the weapons shipment was not linked to the [[Russo-Ukrainian War]], and the [[Bangladesh Armed Forces]] confirmed that they were the intended recipients of the weapons,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-17 |title=All eight crew members killed in cargo plane crash in northern Greece |url=https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20220717-cargo-plane-carrying-serbian-defence-material-crashes-in-northern-greece |access-date=2022-07-26 |website=France 24}}</ref> which they bought from a Polish-owned Bosnian company BA-METALEXPORT.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 26, 2022 |title= Crashed Plane was Flying Arms for Polish-Owned Bosnian Company |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2022/07/26/crashed-plane-was-flying-arms-for-polish-owned-bosnian-company/ |website=Balkan Insight}}</ref>
+Given Serbia's policy of oscillating between the West and Russia and Serbia's weapons industry and political corruption, political scientist Vuk Vuksanovic continued to question whether the plane was indeed transporting Serbian weapons to Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-07-23 |title=Mystery plane crash: Were Serbian weapons headed for Ukraine? |url=https://www.dw.com/en/mystery-plane-crash-were-serbian-weapons-headed-for-ukraine/a-62574069 |access-date=2022-07-26 |website=DW.COM}}</ref>
-== References ==
+==Investigation==
+An investigation was opened by the [[Air Accident Investigation and Aviation Safety Board]] (AAIASB) with the support of the [[National Bureau of Air Accidents Investigation of Ukraine]] (NNBAAI). The [[Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung]] (BFU) of [[Germany]] was able to download the [[Flight recorder|Cockpit voice recorder]] that are providing all the essential data to the investigation.<ref name="avherald" />
+The investigation found that the airplane was involved in another incident one month before the crash on June 19, 2022. As of December 2023 the investigation is still ongoing and no final report is released.<ref name="ASN" />
+==References==
 {{Reflist}}
-== External links ==
+==External links==
 * [https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ur-cic#2cacaf1e Playback flight route on Flight Radar 24]
 * [http://mem.aero/ LLC Aircompany Meridian official website]
+{{Portal bar|Ukraine|Serbia|Greece|Aviation}}
 {{Aviation accidents and incidents in 2022}}
+{{Aviation accidents and incidents in Greece}}
-[[Category:2022 disasters in Europe]]
+[[Category:2022 disasters in Greece]]
-[[Category:2022 in Greece]]
 [[Category:Accidents and incidents by airline of Europe]]
 [[Category:Accidents and incidents involving the Antonov An-12]]

v t e Aviation accidents and incidents in Greece
1960s-1970s	El Al Flight 253 attack (December 1968) Olympic Airways Flight 954 (December 1969) Olympic Airways Flight 255 hijacking (July 1970) Lufthansa Flight 303 (December 1973) Olympic Airways Flight 830 (November 1976) Olympic Airways Flight 411 (August 1978) Swissair Flight 316 (October 1979)
1980s-1990s	Trans World Airlines Flight 847 (June 1985) TWA Flight 840 bombing (April 1986) Olympic Aviation Flight 545 (August 1989) Aerosvit Flight 241 (December 1997)
Since 2000	Malév Flight 262 (July 2000) Helios Airways Flight 522 (August 2005) Turkish Airlines Flight 1476 (October 2006) Meridian Flight 3032 (July 2022)
See List of aviation accidents and incidents in Greece Crashes in water near Greece: Cyprus Airways Flight 284 (October 1967) · TWA Flight 841 (September 1974)