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 |
Meridian Flight 3032 (MEM3032) was an Antonov An-12BK which crashed in July 2022 near 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 till the day after, 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 11.5-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]
Eyewitness accounts and video showed that the plane was already 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 instead used 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]
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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
