Baghdad Missile: They Flew a Dead Plane Home
From Plane Crash Stories · 17:35
Show by OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT
A cargo jet over Baghdad loses all three hydraulic systems to a missile strike. The pilots must learn to fly a dead plane in ten minutes.Baghdad Missile: They Flew a Dead Plane HomeThis episode recounts the harrowing experience of a cargo plane crew whose aircraft was struck by a missile over Baghdad. It explores the unprecedented challenge of flying a large jet that no longer responds to its controls and the ingenuity required to survive.Date: November 22, 2003Location: Baghdad International AirportAircraft: Airbus A300 (OO-DLL)Crew: Éric Gennotte (Captain), Steeve Michielsen (First Officer), Mario Rofail (Flight Engineer)Missile Type: 9K34 Strela-3 (SA-14 Gremlin)- The Airbus A300, operated by European Air Transport, was on a routine cargo flight from Baghdad to Bahrain.- At approximately 8,000 feet, a Strela-3 missile struck the left wing, causing an immediate fire.- Despite having triplicate hydraulic systems designed for redundancy, all three failed simultaneously after the missile strike.- The aircraft's flight controls - ailerons, elevators, rudder, and spoilers - became unresponsive, leaving the pilots with only engine thrust.- The crew had roughly ten minutes to figure out how to control the crippled jet using only differential engine power.Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7307849© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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