Yemenia Flight 626

Yemenia Flight 626
7O-ADJ, the aircraft involved in the accident, pictured in 2007
Accident
Date30 June 2009 (2009-06-30)
SummaryStalled on approach due to pilot error; impacted ocean
Site
Aircraft
Aircraft typeAirbus A310-324
OperatorYemenia
IATA flight No.IY626
ICAO flight No.IYE626
Call signYEMENIA 626
Registration7O-ADJ
Flight originSanaa International Airport, Sanaa, Yemen
DestinationPrince Said Ibrahim International Airport, Moroni, Comoros
Occupants153
Passengers142
Crew11
Fatalities152
Injuries1
Survivors1

Yemenia Flight 626 was a scheduled flight on an Airbus A310-324 twin-engine jet airliner operated by Yemenia that was flying a scheduled international service, from Sanaa in Yemen to Moroni in Comoros, when it crashed on 30 June 2009 at around 1:50 am local time (10:50 pm on 29 June UTC) while on approach to Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport, killing all but one of the 153 passengers and crew on board.[1][2] The sole survivor, 12-year-old girl Bahia Bakari, was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean. Bakari was discharged from the hospital on 23 July 2009.[3]

With 152 deaths, it was the deadliest aviation disaster in the Comoros and one of the deadliest modern disasters in the nation.

The final report on the incident concluded that the crew's inappropriate flight control inputs led to an aerodynamic stall. Failing to stabilize the approach, the crew decided to abandon it and made a go-around. While conducting the climb, they were unaware that their inputs caused the automation system to set the thrust to idle, decreasing the airspeed and causing the aircraft to stall. Saturated by their workload and lack of training, the crew failed to properly get out of the stall as they kept making a nose up input. The aircraft eventually impacted the Indian Ocean. The report also noted that the crew did not react to the warnings being issued by the aircraft.[4]

Aircraft

The aircraft was an Airbus A310-324 twin-engine jetliner, registration 7O-ADJ, manufactured in 1990 as serial number 535. It was in service for 19 years and 3 months, and had accumulated 53,587 flight hours on 18,129 flight cycles at the time of the accident.[1][4][5] Yemenia bought the aircraft in October 1999.[4]: 13 

Dominique Bussereau, the French Secretary of State for Transport, reported that the plane was inspected in 2007 by the French Directorate General for Civil Aviation and found to have a number of faults; since then, however, the aircraft had not returned to France, so it was never again inspected by the same authority.[2][6]

Passengers and crew

NationalityPassengersCrew
France660
Comoros750
Canada10
Ethiopia01
Indonesia01
Morocco02
Palestine10
Philippines01
Yemen06
Total 142 11

There were 142 passengers and 11 crew aboard. Most passengers are believed to have been either Comorian or French nationals. There were also citizens of Canada, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Morocco, Palestine, the Philippines and Yemen on board the plane.[7][8] An airport source has claimed that 66 of the passengers held French citizenship, but many of those could be dual French-Comorian citizens.[2] Many may have been residents of Marseille, a French city with a large Comorian population, headed home for a vacation; the week of the accident marks the beginning of summer vacations for French school children.[1] The two other persons on board were said to be Europeans.[2][9][10] The Yemeni government confirmed that of the 142 passengers aboard, there were a total of 75 Comorians, 66 French, 1 Canadian and 1 Palestinian. There were at least 3 infants on board.[11]

The three flight crew members were all Yemeni. Of the cabin crew, 3 were Yemeni, 2 were Moroccan, 1 was Filipino, 1 was Ethiopian, and 1 was Indonesian.[12]

The flight crew consisted of Captain Khaled Hajeb[a] (44), First Officer Ali Atef[b] (50), and Flight Engineer Ali Salem,[c] all of whom were Yemeni.[4]: 11–12 [12] Captain Hajeb had been working for Yemenia since 1989 and became an A310 captain in 2005. He had 7,936 flight hours, including 5,314 hours on the Airbus A310. Hajeb had previously flown to Moroni 25 times. First Officer Atef had been with the airline since 1980, and he was qualified to fly the Airbus A310 in 2004. Atef had 3,641 flight hours, with 3,076 on the Airbus A310 and had previously flown to Moroni 13 times.[4]: 11–12 

Accident

Flight history

Flight 626 was a scheduled international passenger flight from the Yemeni capital of Sana'a to Moroni, the capital of the Comoros. At the time, it was one of the primary flights to the Comoros archipelago. The flight was frequented by Comorian diaspora to come home to their homeland, particularly due to its significantly cheaper prices than the other airliners. Passengers from the flight usually came from multiple countries, with the majority coming from France after working overseas.[13]

On 29 June, Flight 626 began its boarding process. Many of the passengers had been in transit from a previous Yemenia flight from Paris to Sana'a with a stopover in Marseille, which was using an Airbus A330-200. Of the 111 passengers, a total of 52 had boarded in Paris and another 59 boarded in Marseille. Comorians diaspora in the Middle East had gathered in the Yemeni capital and eventually boarded the plane, bringing the total number of occupants to 153 people. Majority of the passengers were families who were travelling back to the Comoros for vacation, as it was summer holiday in France. It also coincided with the "wedding season" in the Comoros,[14] known locally as Ada N'amdra. Accordingly, many on the flight were attendees of the weddings.[15][16]

On the flight was Captain Hajeb, who would be the commander of the flight and pilot flying, and First Officer Atef, who would be the pilot non-flying. The flight took off at 21:54 local time, approximately 24 minutes late due to issues with the APU, and was due to arrive at Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport in Moroni, Comoros, at 2:30 am local time on 30 June. The take-off and enroute phase were uneventful, and the flight proceeded normally.[17][7]

Approach

The island of Grande Comore, with Moroni Airport visible. On the day of the accident, Flight 626 approached the airport from the northwest

At 01:00 local time, Flight 626 entered Comoros airspace, coming in from the northwest of the airport, and contacted Moroni Tower to request its approach clearance. The controller advised the crew of the prevailing weather conditions: winds from 190° at 15 knots and visibility of 10 km. Cruising at Flight Level 350 (35,000 ft), the aircraft was expected to land at approximately 1:52 a.m., conducting a straight-in ILS approach to Runway 02. The crew were later cleared to descend to Flight Level 100 (10,000 ft) and began their descent to Moroni.[4]

Approximately 25 nautical miles from the VOR for Runway 02, the controller gave the updated weather report in Moroni. The wind speed had increased, blowing from southwest at 25-30 knots, over the limit of 15 knots. As a result, the crew decided to change their approach from Runway 02 to Runway 20, which was the same runway from the opposite end, from the north. The crew had to make a circling maneuvre first before they eventually managed to line up and land at Moroni. The crew then asked the controller whether the runway threshold lights were illuminated. The ATC responded by saying that they were not.[4]

01:39:51Captain HajebConfirm the light, the flashing light is on for runway two zero?
01:39:58Moroni ApproachFlash light runway two zero, I'm afraid not
01:40:03Captain HajebNo, no, I mean I'm looking for the flashing light in runway two zero, beacon.
01:40:10Moroni ApproachYes, I understand... but I'm afraid it does not operative
01:40:18Captain HajebCan you give me maximum runway light?
01:40:24Moroni ApproachOk, I'll do it
01:40:25Captain HajebThank you

Flight 626 then turned toward the southwest, heading 199, and the autopilot was engaged. The target altitude was selected at 3,000 ft, and the aircraft started to descend, levelling off until it reached said altitude. The weather had deteriorated with winds blowing at around 40 knots. The aircraft was expected to continue flying until 16 nautical miles south of the airport, where it would start to turn to the north, flying parallel with the coastline of Grande Comore while trying to gain visual contact with the runway.[4]

The aircraft turned to the left towards heading 59, continued flying at level wings for several seconds before finally turning again towards heading 15. Flight 626 was now flying to the north, approaching the runway from the south. The speed was set at 190 knots. A few minutes later, Flight 626 intercepted the localizer at 3,000 ft. The crew reported to the tower, and the controller ordered the crew to continue for a right downwind landing. The crew then queried the ATC regarding the wind condition. The controller stated that the wind at Runway 02 was still blowing at 20 - 30 knots, while the winds on Runway 20 were slower, at around 12 - 25 knots. The crew decided to proceed.[4]

01:46:41First Officer AtefEstablished on localizer, Yemenia six two six.
01:46:46Moroni Approach...report right downwind for runway two zero
01:46:52First Officer AtefCan you increase your voice please? How is the wind now?
01:47:06Moroni Approachwind 200°, two zero knots to three zero knots, [but on runway 20] less strong... between one two knots to two five knots.
01:48:02First Officer AtefThank you sir.

The crew selected a target speed of 170 knots into the autothrottle and the engine thrust were decreased. As it flew through 1,300 ft, the slats and the landing gear were extended. The airspeed was still 160 knots. Upon reaching the HA locator, the designated point at which the circling maneuver was to begin, the crew initiated the turn to the left.[4]

Crash

The aircraft continued flying towards the northwest with a decreasing altitude. During the descend, the autopilot was disengaged. The aircraft was flying too low and descending with an alarming rate, prompting the aircraft's warning system to blare on the flight's dangerous altitude. The pilots then pulled the nose up, causing the aircraft to momentarily level off.[4]

01:50:42CommentarySound of autopilot disengage alarm
01:50:49First Officer AtefRight down wind Yemenia six two six
01:50:53Moroni ApproachSix two six report final
01:50:53CommentarySink rate! Sink rate!
01:50:55CommentaryPull up! Pull up!

The aircraft continued its right turn but soon resumed descending at a vertical speed of approximately 1,000 ft/min. At one point, it descended to an altitude of about 160 ft above the surface of the Indian Ocean. The Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) again issued repeated "Too low, terrain" warnings. During this time, the crew informed Moroni air traffic control that they would call back later and proceeded to extend the landing gear.[4]

01:51:24CommentaryToo low terrain! Too low terrain! Too low terrain!
01:51:46First Officer AtefWe'll call you long final, Yemenia six two six
01:51:49Moroni ApproachSix two six roger
01:51:51CommentarySounds of landing gear extension

Engine thrust was then increased, and the aircraft's nose began to rise. Shortly afterward, a repetitive chime sounded briefly before stopping, and the aircraft's airspeed continued to decrease. As the speed decayed further, the aircraft began to experience aerodynamic buffeting. The pilots, realizing how low they were flying above the sea, immediately pulled up the yoke. The pitch went up as high as 28 degrees, and the aircraft banked heavily to the right while their altitude fluctuated.[4]

01:52:51CommentarySounds of autopilot disengagement alarm (continued for 46 seconds)
01:52:55Captain HajebThe left one, the left one, the left one, raise everything that's out, raise everything up, the left one, go up, go up!
01:52:57CommentarySounds of yoke vibration (continued until the end of recording)
01:53:02First Officer AtefCome on!
01:53:02First Officer AtefPull up!
01:53:03UnidentifiedI'm pushing!
01:53:04First Officer AtefNo-

The aircraft began to bank to the left and right in quick succession. The low airspeed caused the aircraft to shake more, which caused the pilots to panic. As the aircraft lost its lift, it began to lose altitude as it had entered a stall. The aircraft began to shake violently to the left and right due to lack of lifting forces on the wings. The pilots tried to control the aircraft by pressing the rudder pedals.[4]

After a series of heavy banks and rapidly decreasing airspeed, the aircraft finally had lost all lift forces on the left wing. The left wing stalled completely, causing the stall alarm to blare. Moments later, the aircraft rolled sharply to the left, reaching a bank angle of approximately 74 degrees. The pilots pulled the yoke hard to the right as they tried to save the aircraft by leveling the wings.[4]

01:53:14Captain HajebThe left one! The left one!
01:53:39CommentarySounds of stall warning (continued until the end of the recording)
01:53:41Captain HajebPull!
01:53:43First Officer AtefIt's hopeless!
01:53:52UnidenfitiedGOD-
01:53:54CommentaryEnd of recording

The pilots managed to level the wings, but the aircraft kept stalling. Moments later, it impacted the Indian Ocean in the north coast of Grande Comore, approximately 6 km off the coast of Mitsamiouli. Moroni Tower immediately lost all contact with Flight 626. They tried to call the crew four times, but they received no response. The emergency team was quickly informed about the disappearance of the flight. The controller later relayed the information to other controllers in Antananarivo, Dar es Salaam, Sana'a and Réunion about Flight 626.[18][19] An unnamed United Nations official at the airport said that the control tower had received a notification that the plane was approaching to land before losing contact.[20] An unseasonably strong cold front had moved through the Comoros Islands, bringing winds gusting to 64 km/h (40 mph; 35 kn) and conditions favorable for light to moderate turbulence.[21] Yemeni civil aviation deputy chief Mohammed Abdul Qader said the wind speed was 61 km/h (38 mph; 33 kn) at the time the aircraft was landing.[1]

Search and recovery

A USAF C-130 is being prepared for the search operation of Flight 626.

According to the Comoran police, the nation possesses no sea rescue capabilities.[22] The nation's president, Ahmed Abdallah Sambi, ordered every Comorian vessels, including civilian-owned ones, to search for debris and survivors from the crashed aircraft. He also appealed to the international community for aids in searching for the aircraft and survivors. The French government was the first to be asked. Two French military aircraft and a vessel began the formal search for Flight 626.[2] They were sent from Réunion and Mayotte.[17][23][9] A medical team, soldiers, gendarmeries, and judicial police would be sent to the Comoros. French frigate Nivôse, which was traveling near Madagascar at the time, also joined the search. The island of Réunion sent a team of divers from the French Army and the island's firefighting services to assist with the search. The Galawa Beach in Mitsamouli became the center for the search and rescue operation.[24][25]

Later on, the United States and Yemen joined the operation. Yemen sent a team of divers to Grande Comore, while the United States deployed personnel from the United States Air Force alongside a Lockheed C-130 to the search area. As search intensified, more personnel were transported to the Comoros. An Italian vessel, which had been partaking in Operation Atalanta, was also deployed for the operation. France sent a Transall C-160 aircraft from Réunion to detect beacons from the black boxes and French Red Cross personnel were deployed across the island of Grande Comore to assist with the recovery operation.[26]

Survivor found

Approximately twelve hours after the crash, a civilian vessel Sima Com 2 discovered a survivor clinging onto a piece of debris near Mitsamiouli. The survivor, identified as 12-year-old girl Bahia Bakari, was rescued while floating in rough sea among debris.[27][28] The boat later transported her to Galawa, where she would later be transported to the nation's largest hospital, El Maarouf Hospital, in Moroni.[29] Bakari had been traveling with her mother, who did not survive.[30]

Bakari was reported to be in stable condition with no life-threatening injuries. She reportedly suffered from hypothermia, bruises and a broken collarbone. She also had mild burn injuries due to leaking fuel from the aircraft. After being treated at Moroni, Bakari was flown back to Paris using a special Falcon 900 flight along with French government officials. She reunited with her father later in Armand-Trousseau children's hospital, where she was expected to fully recover. Bakari was released from hospital on July 23.[3]

Continued searches

For the next few days, rescuers struggled to find new pieces of debris and bodies.[31] Several pieces of debris were discovered around the area where Bakari had been found, though many were declared to be not from the aircraft.[32] Some of the corpses found during the search operation turned out to be animal carcasses.[33] Debris were eventually found, but they were spread out and were not concentrated. Authorities stated that a lot of them might have drifted from the original location due to ocean currents. The team had to rely on reports of oil slicks and the smell of kerosene. Since the area was also infested with sharks, authorities tried to look in areas with a higher concentration of sharks than usual.[34][35]

During a reconnaissance mission, a French Transall C-160 aircraft detected a distress signal transmitted by the aircraft's emergency locator beacon approximately 40 km off the coast of Grande Comore.[36] France's Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) later confirmed that acoustic signals ("pings") from the aircraft's flight recorders had been detected in the same area. As the Comoros had never conducted a survey of the underwater terrain in the region, the French Navy deployed Beautemps-Beaupré, an oceanographic survey vessel docked off Brest,[37] to map the seabed and support the search effort.[38] French officials later stated that the search for the flight recorders was concentrated within an area approximately 300 meters in diameter.[39][40]

On 7 July, officials in Pwani Region announced that four bodies suspected from the aircraft were found in various locations near Mafia Island, approximately 600 km from the crash site, prompting initial investigation on whether they were the victims of the flight. On the next few days, more bodies were found, amounting to at least 22 victims. Several debris confirmed from the aircraft were also found near the bodies, including one of the Airbus A310's door. The bodies were sent to Dar es Salaam for identification. The Comoros stated that they would also sent personnel to Tanzania to investigate the bodies.[41][42][43][44]

Research on the nature of injuries inflicted on the bodies suggested that many of the decomposing bodies had markings bearing signs of bites from cookiecutter sharks in the area.[45]

The French oceanographic vessel Beautemps-Beaupré arrived at the Comoros on 15 July 2009, and by 23 July 2009 had completed a mapping of the ocean floor around the crash area, which helped pinpoint the exact location of the recorders.[46][47][48] Due to the great depth of the recorders' current location, the French navy had announced that it would employ underwater robots for the recovery operation, which began in August 2009. The French vessel EDT Ares was called in to assist with the operation. The search area was narrowed down to 75 meters. The flight data recorder (FDR) was eventually recovered on 28 August from the Indian Ocean at a depth of 1,200 metres (3,900 ft), while the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) was recovered on 29 August.[49][50] During the underwater search, from August to September, a total of 60 bodies were recovered from the wreckage field at a depth of around 1,200 meters. Debris from the wreckage was unloaded to Moroni in September, and a total of 90 bodies had been recovered. The search for bodies ended in the same month.[51]

Response

Government response

French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner announced that the Élysée Palace would like to offer their condolences to the families of the victims and stated that French army would do everything they can to assist with the search and rescue efforts. He added that the junior minister for cooperation, Alain Joyandet, would head to Moroni to coordinate with Comorian officials with the operation. Crisis centres were immediately set up in Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport and in Marseille.[52] The Bobigny Public Prosecutor's Office set up a hotline for families to contact for psychological and legal assistance.[53] Before the start of the first session, the French national assembly held a minute of silence for the victims.[54]

In Yemen, the government cabinet ordered the officials from the higher committee to follow-up with the search and rescue operations and updated their progress, later announced that they would like to express their condolences to the families of the victims.[55] A commission to investigate the crash was established, which would be headed by the Yemeni Minister of Transport Khaled Ibrahim al-Wazir. The Yemeni government also set up a crisis centre in Sana'a for information regarding the crash and as a coordination centre for the search and rescue operations. Arrangements were made for officials, including those from Yemenia, to travel to the crash site for further coordination with the rescue efforts.[11]

The Comoros Red Crescent mobilized approximately 100 of its personnel across Grande Comore to attend the next of kin, supported by the Canadian Red Crescent, French Red Crescent and Spanish Red Crescent. It stated that psychological support and burial would be provided and managed for the families. More than 900 members of the relatives were treated, most of whom suffered from fatigue and anxiety, many could not take care for themselves. Of those, 6 had to be taken to the hospital due to extreme fatigue.[56]

An interreligious memorial service was held at the Grand Mosque of Paris on July 2, attended by hundreds of members of the Comoran community and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. He stated that relatives of the victims who wished to travel to the Comoros to pay homage should contact authorities, as special flights would be organized. French PM François Fillon named French Ambassador to Sudan Christine Robichon as the liaison responsible for communication between relief agencies and the families of the victims.[57][58]

In Marseille, which hosts the largest Comorian diaspora in Metropolitan France, tributes to the victims were held. An interfaith ceremony was conducted on July 3, attended mainly by members from the Comorian diaspora, dressed solemnly in their traditional attire. The service was also attended by the city's mayor, Jean-Claude Gaudin, and multiple interfaith leaders, including the Archbishop of Marseille, Georges Pontier.[58]

President of the Comoros was attending the African Union (AU) summit in Sirte, Libya when he heard the news of the crash. Following the crash, he decided to cut short his visit and flew back home to his home country. During a televised address to the nation, he declared a month of national mourning in honour of the victims. The flag of the Comoros would be flown at half-mast and festivals and weddings would be postponed.[59] President Sambi later added that citizens of the Comoros should dress accordingly. The nation's celebrations for its independence, annually celebrated on every July 6, would be toned down in respect to the dead, with the military parade being canceled.[60]

On 11 July, French Prime Minister François Fillon flew to Comoros, the first time a French leader had visited the nation in 23 years, in response to the crash. He met President Sambi to extend his condolences to the Comorians on behalf of France and Nicolas Sarkozy, adding that he would like to "jointly address" all the consequences of the disaster and implement all the necessary means to find the cause and shed full light on it in the interest of the families and safety of air travel. The president of the Comoros stated that he hoped for the strengthening of cooperation, intervention, and further support in combating the nation's "air isolation."[61][62]

Approximately 181 relatives of the victims were flown to Comoros through a special Boeing 767 Blue Line flight chartered by Yemenia. The flight had taken passengers from Paris before continuing to Marseille and eventually to Moroni. Their arrival was greeted personally by President Sambi and members of the Comorian government. The families would spend a week at the archipelago during a period of mourning.[63][64]

On 17 September, before the match between Olympique de Marseille and Montpellier HSC, tributes were paid to the victims of Flight 626 in Marseille's Stadion Vélodrome. A minute of silence was then followed by the screening of a short film of the victims. A Comorian flag would later be displayed after the match.[65] A solidarity match between the Marseille football team and the national football team of Comoros would be held at the same place a week later.[66]

Burial and repatriation of bodies

The national gendarmerrie sent 10 members of its personnel to the Comoros for identification and judicial investigation matters.[67] Members from the Red Crescent assisted in the identification and burial process. In September, a total of 59 bodies of the victims were transported to the Comoros. The identification was hampered due to the decomposing state of the bodies; however, multiple families wanted to bury the victims as soon as possible in a mass burial site in Iconi, Grande Comore. Officials urged family members to wait until the identification process was completed, as families of non-Comorian victims would be repatriated to their respective countries.[68]

The Paris High Court began issuing death certificates for French nationals and Comorians who resided in France and were on the flight. The French Comorian community stated that, due to the state of the Comorian civil register and the fact that some of those on board were not using their real names, it would be extremely difficult to retrieve the documents, which would be essential in the compensation payments.[69] The ambassador in charge of the victims, Christine Robichon, stated that they should contact the Comorian Embassy in France for the matter.[70][71]

On November 29, the ceremony for the mass burial of the identified victims were held in Iconi. Relatives living in France alongside members of the Comorian consulate were flown to Moroni. The service was attended by approximately 2,500 people, including high-ranking Comorian officials. During an address to the attendees, President Abdallah Sambi stated that the mourning period was already over and therefore there was no need for further funeral ceremonies following the burial.[72][73]

As of Tuesday, 1 December 2009, remains of nine crew members had been retrieved and arrived in Sanaa. The crew members found were Captain Khaled Hajeb, First Officer Ali Atef, the three Yemeni cabin crew members, the two Moroccan cabin crew members, and the Ethiopian cabin crew member. One cabin crew member, Hamdi Wazea, was buried in Sanaa, while the other Yemenis who were found were buried in Aden. The bodies of the Moroccans were sent to Morocco, while the Ethiopian was sent to Addis Ababa. The crew members who had not been found included Yemeni engineer Ali Salem, the Filipino cabin crew member, and the Indonesian cabin crew member. In the last two days leading to 1 December, 54 bodies were buried in Moroni.[12]

Controversy

Protests against Yemenia

Hours after the crash, an organisation named "SOS Voyages aux Comores" (SOS Voyages to the Comoros), which had been advocating for safer planes for flights between France and the Comoros, accused French officials of inaction even though they had been warned since months prior, claiming that their warnings had fallen on deaf ears. The organisation had stated that aircraft operated by Yemenia Airways shouldn't have been allowed to be flown in France, arguing that the aircraft that Yemenia had been using were defective and not airworthy.[74][75] The Comorian community in France stated that they had criticized the low safety standards of Yemenia for years, with the Comorian Consulate in Marseille confirming that they had been receiving numerous complaints about Yemenia flights.[76][77]

The French Secretary of State for Transport Dominique Bussereau said that France had banned the plane from its territory several years prior, because "we believed it presented a certain number of irregularities in its technical equipment."[78] However, the Yemeni Transport Minister Khaled Ibrahim Alwazir declared the plane was in line with international standards and that "comprehensive inspection" had been undertaken in Yemen with experts from Airbus.[29] Siding with their Yemeni counterpart, Comorian Vice President Idi Nadhoim accused France of withholding crucial information regarding the list of aircraft that posed safety risk, stating that "it would have been easier for us if France had communicated to us the list of Airbus planes that are not good to fly, which is not the case", later claiming that supposedly there were commercial interests at play. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner responded to the criticism by saying that everyone already knew that the plane was banned in France, including the Comorian government themselves.[79][80]

Protests eventually broke out in Marseille and in Paris as the Comorian community accused Yemenia Airways of poor safety standards. In Marseille Provence Airport, protesters linked arms with each other and prevented passengers from boarding. Barriers were put and the French police were involved to maintain security. Heigthened tensions eventually led to a violent clash, with one journalist from AFP being violently attacked and her equipment being slammed onto the floor.[81] Dozens from the Comorian community later scoured through the city to forcefully close several travel agencies that had been selling tickets for Yemenia Airways.[82][83] Yemenia later cancelled all flights from Marseille to Moroni for an indefinite period due to "force majeure", noting that they could not continue their flights due to deplorable actions which would jeopardize the safety of their passengers, users and staff. Passengers who had booked on Yemenia flights would be refunded immediately.[84][85][86] In Paris, during the boarding of a Paris - Sana'a flight, passengers were blocked from checking in and boarding, resulting in around 60 people missing the flight. The same flight eventually had to be delayed for 40 minutes before leaving the airport. The protesters would later continue to travel agencies across Paris to stop them from selling tickets for Yemenia Airways.[87][88]

The demonstrations stretched until the next few days. Between 10,000 and 30,000 people from the Franco-Comorian community marched in silence from Port d'Paix to Marseille City Hall before reaching the city's Old Port. The attendees were wearing traditional Comorian and carrying banners calling for the boycott of Yemenia Airways.[89][90] In Paris, around 5,000 people marched in Place de la Republique and Place de la Nation while waving Comorian flags. Remembrance ceremonies were held in La Courneuve and Sarcelles, with mosques holding prayer for the absent.[91] The President of Comoros, Abdallah Sambi, urged the Comorian community in France to remain calm.[92][93] In response to the growing outrage, Yemenia Airways decided to temporarily suspend all flights from France to Moroni for an indefinite period, citing major risks for the safety of airport staff and passengers of Yemenia. They also announced that they would cancel all additional flights between Sanaa and Moroni.[94] Marie-George Buffet, secretary of the French Communist Party (PCF), however, asked French PM François Fillon to resume the flights between Marseille and Moroni using Air France.[54]

Hindering of investigation

In response to growing criticism of the safety of Yemenia, a global blacklist of airliners from flying in Europe was proposed by European authorities and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The current list didn't include Yemenia Airways as one of the airliners that were banned from flying, though officials stated that the airliner had been under strict surveillance. French authorities stated that Yemenia would need to do significant improvements to avoid being blacklisted. The EU then announced that Yemenia would be expected to implement corrective measures and would be included in the list if by July 10 they had not done the required move. Disappointed with the perceived "unfair" treatment, Yemenia Airways threatened to cancel its $2bn deal with Airbus, stating that they didn't get the "moral support" needed and that Airbus and France had jumped to conclusions regarding the cause of the crash.[95][96][97][98]

Yemeni officials initially did not suspect foul play.[99] ,[100] however following "unfair treatment against Yemen", they eventually threw a fresh accusation that the flight had been shot down by a French missile[101] as a military drill was being held in the vicinity of the area during the crash, although recent reports eventually debunked this. Yemeni authorities eventually asked their Comorian counterpart to decode the contents of the flight recorders, the FDR and CVR, in a laboratory other than that of the BEA, the French investigation agency, accusing the French of attacking Yemenia "day and night" and of "harassment". Yemenia stated that the investigation was "affecting the reputation of Yemen".[102] Under pressure from Yemenia, which at the time was regarded as one of the most important airliners in the Comoros, the request was approved by the Comorian authorities, and the recorders were planned to be sent to an NTSB lab in the United States. NTSB, however, refused them. The recorders were eventually read by France's BEA in Le Bourget.[103][104][105]

Yemenia and the Yemeni government were accused of hindering the progress of the investigation and evading compensation payments for the families of the victims. During a hearing in Aix-en-Provence, the lawyers of Yemenia and the insurers stated out loud that the case should be postponed, drawing shocked reactions from the relatives. The families later received provisional compensations following further judicial review. It was also suspected that the Comorian authorities were pressured by the Yemeni government from releasing information to the public, causing the investigation to stall. French investigators noted that the most difficult part of the investigation had already been completed, and it was up to the Comorian authorities, who were the main agency responsible for the probe, to publish the report. The BEA, the French government and the victims' families criticized the slow pace of the investigation. At one point, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé sent a letter to a French-Comorian representatives, stating "a completely abnormal and shocking situation", describing the progress of the investigation which had been on a standstill since September 2009. The French Ministry of Transport openly deplored the Comorian counterpart for their lack of cooperation.[103][106][107][108]

Distrust with the operation of Yemenia led the Comorian diaspora to try persuading Air Austral, an airliner based on the nearby French department of Réunion, to open a direct flight from France to the Comoros. Air Austral was interested and had held talks with Comorian officials regarding the operation of the flight.[109][110] However, Comorian officials offered fuel prices that were "too high" for the airline to afford, and they eventually had to withdraw their intention. A French member of parliament questioned about whether Yemenia was asked with the same price, but no answer was received. President of the France-Comoros friendship group, Daniel Goldberg, stated that Comoros was likely pressured by Yemen due to economic leverages.[107] In 1999, Yemenia had signed an agreement with the Comorian President Azali Assoumani for the rights of operating the majority of the flights in the country, following the bankruptcy of the country's flag carrier, Air Comores.[111]

As there were calls for the inclusion of Yemenia into the EU list of banned airliners, a review was conducted. The European Union concluded that the efforts made by Yemenia following earlier warnings were enough and acknowledged. Accordingly, the airline was allowed to fly in European skies.[112] In 2014, the airline was allowed by the French Directorate of General Aviation to reopen the Paris - Marseille - Sana'a route, replacing Air Madagascar that had been serving the route following Yemenia's absence, drawing condemnations from the French Comorian community.[113]

Investigation

The National Civil Aviation and Meteorological Agency (ANACM) of the Comoros was in charge of the investigation.[114] The French Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) sent an investigative team, accompanied by Airbus specialists, to assist in the investigation of the causes.[115] Yemen also sent a technical team to Moroni, while a committee, headed by the Yemeni Minister of Transport, was formed.[116] The BEA noted that due to corrosion damage on the memory cards, not all of the data from the CVR could be recovered.[117]

In 2011, the BEA criticized the Comorian authorities, saying that they are not releasing the report in a timely enough manner.[118] A preliminary report was eventually published in 2011. The report only stated an already known and established facts from the crash, though several findings of the investigation pointed to pilot error as the cause of the accident, bringing objections from the Yemeni authorities.[119][120] In one of its commentaries regarding the draft report, Yemeni authorities argued that the investigation commission should "carefully consider" the possibility of external forces causing the plane to be brought down, stating that they should've recovered the rudder of the aircraft first before making conclusions.[121]

In 2013, the Yemeni government decided to reopen the investigation, as previous attempts were hindered by the political crisis in the country. A group consisted of high-ranking officials was established and a visit to the Comoros for collaboration with Comorian investigators was planned. Yemeni Minister of Transport Wa'ed Abdullah Badhib stated that the result of the investigation would be published to the public in a clear and transparent manner.[122]

Approach to Moroni

External videos
Simulation of Flight 626
video icon FDR recording of Flight 626 on YouTube

The flight was initially planned for an instrument (ILS) approach to Runway 02, but strong winds forced the crew to switch to Runway 20, which required a circling manoeuvre northwest of the airport to line up with the runway visually. The flight recorders later showed that during the circling the approach became unstable: the aircraft repeatedly descended too low, triggering the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS), and drifted off the prescribed track. According to the investigation, a strong tailwind increased the aircraft's groundspeed. The unlit approach beacons, combined with a dark, moonless night and the general lack of lighting, meant the crew missed the point at which they were to turn back toward the runway, and the aircraft flew wide of the published circling track.[4]: 64–70 

During the circling, the aircraft descended below the published minimum altitude, reaching about 161 ft above the sea, and the GPWS generated repeated "sink rate," "pull up," and "too low terrain" warnings. The crew arrested each descent manually but did not carry out the go-around procedure required in response to a "pull up" warning. The commission listed this failure to apply the procedure among the factors contributing to the accident.[4]: 64–70 

With the aircraft configured for landing, the airspeed was held relatively low. The crew eventually decided to increase thrust. Several minutes later, while climbing away, the FDR recorded that one of the pilots had set the selected altitude to 0 ft, which, by design, caused the autothrottle to reduce thrust to idle and the autopilot to lower the nose. The airspeed began to decay. This went unnoticed by the crew, who then retracted the slats, further reducing the wing's lift.[4]: 64–70 

The crew then disengaged the autopilot. Because it had been holding the nose down, disengaging it allowed the nose to rise again, and the airspeed decreased further toward the stall. The aircraft began to buffet and to roll from side to side. As the angle of attack increased, the Airbus A310's alpha floor protection activated and commanded maximum (TO/GA) thrust. Because the engines are mounted beneath the wings, this rapid thrust increase produced a strong nose-up pitching moment. The crew did not counter it with a nose-down input, and the nose pitched up further, deepening the stall. The aircraft struck the Indian Ocean at 185 knots in a nose-up attitude of about 15 degrees.[4]: 64–70 

Pilot error

The abrupt runway change increased the crew's workload and, the commission found, left them more prone to error during the approach. While manoeuvring to line up with Runway 20, one of the pilots repeatedly set the altitude-select knob to 0 ft. Investigators concluded that this was most likely an inadvertent input, the pilot intending to adjust the heading using the adjacent heading knob. The investigation identified this error as significant to the accident. Already under stress from the difficult approach, the crew made the same misselection again while increasing thrust to climb away: the selected altitude was set to 0 ft, and the aircraft's automation steadily reduced engine thrust to idle and lowered the nose. This was not noticed by the crew, and the airspeed decreased. The aircraft descended and triggered the GPWS, adding to the crew's saturation.[4]: 64–70 

As the airspeed fell toward the stall, the stall warning activated. The recorders show the aircraft's bank angle diverging, rolling left and right, and the commission considered that the crew's attention was largely absorbed by controlling the roll. With multiple warnings sounding, the crew became increasingly overloaded and did not maintain airspeed. When the alpha floor protection activated, the resulting thrust increase pitched the nose up to as much as 27 degrees. The manufacturer's procedure required a nose-down input to recover, which the crew did not make; the FDR recorded continued nose-up elevator inputs until the end of the recording. The commission proposed two explanations: that the crew was reluctant to push the nose down while flying very low over the sea, or that they were overwhelmed by the situation and the multiple alarms. With no nose-down input applied, the aircraft remained stalled until it struck the water.[4]: 64–70 

Other deficiencies

The investigation listed several things in the report that were noted as significant deficiencies, including the lack of documentation of the pilots' training, the absence of briefing prior to the approach, and the non-existence of a search and rescue team in Moroni Airport, the Comoros' busiest airport and main gateway into the country.[4]: 73 

The investigation noted that while the training documents for First Officer Atef were adequate, the ones for Captain Hajeb were incomplete. Moroni Airport was listed by Yemenia as a category C aerodrome, which required specific training before pilots were allowed to land. Hajeb's file didn't include the specific training.[4][123]: 71–73 

Investigators further criticized several lapses within Yemenia's training program. Numerous procedures established by the airline were not followed by the crew. On one occasion, the airline's standard operating procedure explicitly stated that pilots should immediately go around when GPWS got activated during nighttime flying. Pilots were also not allowed to fly below the published minima. In Flight 626, the crew decided to proceed despite GPWS activation and flew to as low as 161 ft, far below the minimum descent altitude of 1,230 ft. The findings suggested that it was likely that there was lax implementation of the company's safety procedures. Yemeni authorities, however, argued that they had followed the aviation industry standard and that their training programmes were of high quality.[4]

The report also noted the Comoros' lack of search and rescue capability. As the country didn't possess adequate search and rescue facilities, investigators noted that this might've affected the survivability of the survivors, causing them to not be rescued in time. As a result, the investigation recommended Comorian authorities to establish permanent search and rescue resources at the aerodrome.[4]: 71–73 

Conclusion

The investigation determined that the accident was caused by the inappropriate actions of the crew that led to a stall from which the aircraft did not recover.[124] The approach was unstabilized, triggering various alarms for ground proximity, aircraft configuration and approach to stall. The crew was focused on navigating, were stressed, and did not respond adequately to the different alarms. Contributing to the accident were the windy weather conditions, a lack of training, the lack of a crew briefing before the flight, and a failure to correctly respond to the pull up alarm.[4]: 72 [125]

A group of victims' family members called for a demonstration in Paris on 28 June 2013 to protest the final report.[126]

Aftermath

Legacy

A one-year commemoration of the crash, held by the French Comoran community in Paris

The crash of Flight 626 remains the deadliest aviation disaster in the history of the Comoros, exceeding the toll of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961. The tragedy was also among the country's deadliest modern disasters. Annual remembrance ceremonies have been held in both the Comoros and France.[127][128]

A memorial dedicated to the victims of the disaster was planned to be built near Mitsamiouli, which was near the location of the crash. The construction would be financed by France, per the order from then-President Nicolas Sarkozy. On the second anniversary of the disaster, the monument was inaugurated by the French ambassador to Comoros, Luc Hallade. The memorial was a decorated stone-wall structure with reflective plaques bearing the names of the 152 victims, located at the entrance of the city.[129][130]

In the aftermath of the crash, Comorian authorities vowed to make improvements in the safety of their airports. During a press conference in 2019, they stated that numerous safety measures had been implemented at Moroni Airport and that they were already at the final stages for certification of international standards. Within the same statements, officials announced that the airport had finally established a rescue team.[131]

Trial

The French Federation of Insurance Companies (FFSA) stated that the Airbus A310 involved in the crash was insured for approximately US$34 million. Yemenia offered an initial compensations of up to 20,000 euros for the relatives of the victims. The airline, however, didn't specify when the compensations would be given.[132] The ambassadors of Comoros, France and Yemen alongside several French officials met in Paris and agreed to set the compensations at 20,000 euros.[133] However, payments were not made and many families didn't receive any compensations for the next few years. Yemenia was accused of attempting to skirt away from the payments, which led to condemnations.[134]

A series of complaints were officially filed into French courts to settle the matter. In May 2010, the High Court of Aix-en-Provence declared that a provisional compensation of up to 3.4 million euros would be made, which would be distributed among 50 beneficiaries.[135] In 2015, the Aix-en-Provence High Court had ruled in favor of the families of the victims, ordering Yemenia and its insurers to pay compensations of up to 30 million euros which would distributed among 600 beneficiaries. The lawyers representing the relatives had sought the penalty of 70 million euros, but considered the ruling to be satisfactory.[136] Months after the ruling, however, multiple families claimed that they still had not received the planned compensations.[137]

The Paris Criminal Court opened the case against Yemenia in May 2022 for manslaughter. A total of 560 relatives had joined the plaintiffs to make the case.[138] Representatives from Yemenia Airways, however, were never present since the start of the trial due to the civil war situation in the country. The proceedings would be open to the public, with parts of it broadcast to Marseille residents.[139] The families sought compensation of up to €225,000 per person. Yemenia insisted upon their innocence, stating that while there were malfunctions, the company was not responsible for the events that led to the crash.[140] Bahia Bakari personally attended the trial and testified for the relatives later on.[141] The judges eventually indicted Yemenia for involuntary homicide and sentenced the airline to the maximum fine.[142] Yemenia Airways stated that they would appeal the verdict.[143]

The Court of Appeal opened a case following Yemenia's decision to appeal the prior verdict in 2022. The trial was attended by one of the executives of the company, who maintained their innocence.[144] The court decided to uphold the conviction of the airline and stated that they would add supplementary penalty.[145][146]

Notes

    1. ↑ Arabic: خالد حاجب
    2. ↑ Arabic: علي عاطف
    3. ↑ Arabic: علي سالم

    See also

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 "Yemeni Jet Carrying 153 Crashes in Indian Ocean". Fox News. Associated Press. 30 June 2009. Archived from the original on 4 July 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Yemen jet crashes in Indian Ocean". BBC News. 30 June 2009. Archived from the original on 23 July 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
    3. 1 2 "Yemenia crash survivor goes home". BBC News. 23 July 2009. Archived from the original on 26 July 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
    4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 "Rapport Final sur l'Accident Survenu le 29 Juin 2009 En mer au large de Moroni (Comores) De l'Airbus A310-324 Immatriculé 7O-ADJ Exploité par la compagnie Yemenia Airways" [Final Report on the Accident on June 29, 2009 At sea off Moroni (Comoros) Of the Airbus A310-324 Registered 7O-ADJ Operated by the company Yemenia Airways] (PDF) (in French). National Civil Aviation and Meteorological Agency. 25 June 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 November 2025 – via Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety.
    5. ↑ "Current News". Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre. Archived from the original on 27 February 2010. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
    6. ↑ "France charges Yemenia Airways over deadly 2009 crash". BBC News. 29 January 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2025.
    7. 1 2 "Fingers pointed at Yemenia Airways after Airbus crash". FRANCE 24. 1 July 2009. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012.
    8. ↑ "انتشال بعض الجثث والكشف عن جنسيات 93 من ركاب الطائرة اليمنية المنكوبة" [Some bodies have been recovered and the nationalities of 93 passengers from the ill-fated Yemeni plane have been revealed.] (in Arabic). Sanaa News. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
    9. 1 2 "Yemeni plane crashes with 154 aboard". CNN. 30 June 2009. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
    10. ↑ Amir, Ahmed; Cawthorne, Andrew; Hemming, Jon (29 June 2009). "Yemeni plane crashes in Comoros, 150 on board". News. Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 August 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
    11. 1 2 "Initial report on the crashed Yemenia airplane 70-ADJ flight IY626 to Moroni" (PDF). Yemen Embassy of Canada. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
    12. 1 2 3 "Yemenia crew bodies arrive in Sana'a". Saba News Agency. 1 December 2009. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011.
    13. ↑ "Un avion transportant 66 Français s'abîme en mer près des Comores" [A plane carrying 66 French citizens crashes into the sea near the Comoros Islands.]. Le Essentiel. 30 June 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
    14. ↑ "Lavish 'Grand Mariage' weddings celebrate Comoros tradition, society". France 24. 6 August 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
    15. ↑ "Les comoriens soudés dans l'épreuve" [Comorians united in adversity] (in French). Le Parisien. 2 July 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
    16. ↑ "Une adolescente a survécu au crash" [A teenage girl survived the crash] (in French). Imaz Press. 30 June 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
    17. 1 2 "One survivor 'found' from crashed Yemeni airliner". France 24. 30 June 2009. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012.
    18. ↑ "Sub hears signal from Yemenia black boxes". NBC News. The Associated Press. 5 July 2009. Archived from the original on 29 November 2025.
    19. ↑ "ASN Aircraft accident Airbus A310-324 7O-ADJ Mitsamiouli". Aviation Safety Network. Archived from the original on 15 August 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
    20. ↑ "Yemeni plane crashes in ocean". The Taipei Times. 1 July 2009. Archived from the original on 4 July 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
    21. ↑ Vasquez, Tim (30 June 2009). "Yemenia Flight 626: A detailed meteorological analysis". Archived from the original on 4 July 2009. Retrieved 2 July 2009.
    22. ↑ "Jet Goes Down in Indian Ocean With 153 Aboard". The New York Times. Reuters. 30 June 2009. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 27 January 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
    23. ↑ Barrowclough, Anne (30 June 2009). "Plane with 150 on board crashes into Indian Ocean". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 26 January 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
    24. ↑ "La France à la recherche de survivants" [France in search of survivors] (in French). Imaz Press. 30 June 2009. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
    25. ↑ "Les pompiers plongeurs de retour de Moroni" [Firefighter divers return from Moroni] (in French). Linfo.re. 6 July 2009. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
    26. ↑ "Les recherches s'intensifient" [The search is intensifying] (in French). Radio Francais Internationale. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
    27. ↑ "Girl survives Yemen plane crash". BBC News. 1 July 2009. Archived from the original on 3 February 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
    28. ↑ "Yemenia Survivor Could Barely Swim, Grabbed Debris, Father Says". Bloomberg. 1 July 2009. Archived from the original on 13 June 2010.
    29. 1 2 "Crashed plane's black box located". Yahoo News. 1 July 2009. Archived from the original on 4 July 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
    30. ↑ "Bahia Bakari: Teen Survivor Of Comoros Crash A "True Miracle"". The Huffington Post. 2 July 2009. Archived from the original on 4 July 2009. Retrieved 2 July 2009.
    31. ↑ Mohamed, Aliloifa (3 July 2009). "Catastrophe de l'A310 de Yemenia: Aucun corps retrouvé 36 heures après le crash" [Yemenia A310 disaster: No bodies recovered 36 hours after the crash] (in French). Temoignages. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
    32. ↑ "Des débris de l'avion localisés" [Debris from the plane located] (in French). Imaz Press. 3 July 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
    33. ↑ "Crash des Comores: Entre espoir et désillusions" [Comoros crash: Between hope and disillusionment] (in French). Paris Match. 10 July 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
    34. ↑ "Yemenia: les débris de plus en plus difficiles à repérer, d'après l'armée française" [Yemenia: debris increasingly difficult to spot, according to the French army] (in French). La Depeche. 3 July 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
    35. ↑ "La difficile localisation de l'épave de l'A310 de Yemenia" [The difficult location of the wreckage of the Yemenia A310] (in French). Le Monde. 3 July 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
    36. ↑ "Une balise de détresse repérée" [An emergency beacon spotted] (in French). Imaz Press. 2 July 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
    37. ↑ "Crash de l'A310. Les informations du jour" [A310 crash. Today's news] (in French). Le Telegramme. 6 June 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
    38. ↑ "Crash de l'A310: 13 corps repérés" [A310 crash: 13 bodies found] (in French). Challenges. 8 July 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
    39. ↑ Desnos, Marie (8 July 2009). "Crash aux Comores: des corps retrouvés ?" [Comoros plane crash: have bodies been recovered?] (in French). Paris Match. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
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    42. ↑ "IY626: Des corps repérés" [IY626: Bodies spotted] (in French). Le Journal du Dimanche. 7 July 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
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    50. ↑ "Yemenia Airways crash: second recorder found". Independent Online. 29 August 2009.
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    52. ↑ "French FM: 66 passengers were French". China Daily. 30 June 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
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    57. ↑ Ballong, Stéphane (3 July 2009). "Crash de l'A310 de Yemenia: les Comoriens rendent hommage aux disparus" [Yemenia A310 crash: Comorians pay tribute to the victims] (in French). Afrik.com. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
    58. 1 2 "Marseille en deuil" [Marseille in mourning]. Radio France Internationale. 3 July 2009. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
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    64. ↑ "Yemenia crash victims' relatives arrive in Comoros". France24. 14 July 2009. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
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    75. ↑ "Fingers pointed at Yemenia Airways after Airbus crash". France24. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
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    82. ↑ "La compagnie Yemenia dans la ligne de mire" [Yemenia in the line of fire] (in French). Europe1fr. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
    83. ↑ "Des Comoriens contraignent des agences de voyage à fermer à Marseille" [Comorians force travel agencies to close in Marseille] (in French). Le Monde. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
    84. ↑ "Yemenia suspends flights to and from Marseille". France 24. 3 July 2009. Archived from the original on 7 July 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
    85. ↑ "Yemenia suspend ses liaisons depuis Marseille "pour une durée indéterminée"" [Yemenia suspends its connections from Marseille "for an indefinite period"] (in French). La Depeche. 2 July 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
    86. ↑ "De Paris à Marseille, la communauté comorienne multiplie les blocages" [From Paris to Marseille, the Comorian community multiplies the blockades] (in French). 20 Minutes. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
    87. ↑ "Roissy. Un vol Yemenia bloqué par de jeunes Comoriens" [Roissy. Yemenia flight blocked by young Comorians] (in French). Le Telegramme. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
    88. ↑ "Un vol Yemenia bloqué à Roissy" [Yemenia flight stranded at Roissy] (in French). Paris Match. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
    89. ↑ "Une communauté unie au-delà du deuil" [A community united beyond grief]. Le Journal de Dimanche. 5 July 2009. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
    90. ↑ "Yemenia: une marche en hommage aux victimes" [Yemenia: A march in tribute to the victims] (in French). 4 July 2009. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
    91. ↑ "La communauté comorienne manifeste à Paris" [The Comorian community demonstrates in Paris]. Le Monde (in French). 5 July 2009. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
    92. ↑ "Yemenia renonce finalement à suspendre ses vols vers les Comores" [Yemenia has finally abandoned its plan to suspend flights to the Comoros.] (in French). Le Nouvel Obs. 10 July 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
    93. ↑ "François Fillon va se rendre aux Comores" [François Fillon is going to visit the Comoros] (in French). France Info. 7 July 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
    94. ↑ "Yemenia to maintain regular Sana'a-Moroni flights". France 24. 5 July 2009. Archived from the original on 6 July 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
    95. ↑ Beaumont, Peter (5 July 2009). "Global blacklist plan to ground unsafe planes". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
    96. ↑ "Yemenia 'may cancel Airbus order'". BBC News. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
    97. ↑ "Investigations confirm Yemenia crashed plane was hit with French missile". Almotamar. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
    98. ↑ "Crash aux Comores: critiques sur la sécurité" [Comoros plane crash: safety criticisms] (in French). Radio Télévision Suisse. 28 June 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
    99. ↑ "Child found alive after plane crashes in sea". CNN. 30 June 2009. Archived from the original on 29 May 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
    100. ↑ Ranter, Harro. "Yemenia Airways". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Archived from the original on 16 October 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
    101. ↑ "Yemenia takes the blame over Comoros crash, 2009". Yemen Post. 26 June 2013. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
    102. ↑ Kingsley-Jones, Max. "Dubai 09: Yemenia seeks third party to investigate A310 crash". Flight International. Archived from the original on 21 November 2009. Retrieved 26 November 2009.
    103. 1 2 "CRASH DE LA YEMENIA - Un an de chape de plomb sur l'accident aux Comores" [YEMENIA CRASH - A year of silence surrounding the Comoros accident] (in French). Le Point. 29 June 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
    104. ↑ "Accident de la Yéménia: le Yémen exige une relecture des boites noires" [Yemenia crash: Yemen demands review of black boxes] (in French). Reunionnais du Monde. 25 November 2009. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
    105. ↑ "How air crash investigations may be thrown off course". BBC News. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
    106. ↑ "Yemenia: conclusions "dans l'année"" [Yemenia: conclusions "within the year"] (in French). Le Figaro. 14 March 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
    107. 1 2 "Crash de l'Airbus de Yemenia: pourquoi la vérité tarde à éclater" [Yemenia Airbus crash: why the truth is taking so long to come out] (in French). 20 Minutes. 21 July 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
    108. ↑ "Yemenia Airways bientôt indésirable en Europe ?" [Is Yemenia Airways soon to be unwelcome in Europe?] (in French). Le Point. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
    109. ↑ "Transport aérien Paris-Moroni: la diaspora comorienne mise sur Air Austral" [Air transport Paris-Moroni: the Comorian diaspora is counting on Air Austral] (in French). Reunionnais du Monde. 16 November 2009. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
    110. ↑ "Air Austral prête à assurer la liaison Moroni-Marseille-Paris" [Air Austral ready to operate the Moroni-Marseille-Paris route] (in French). Temoignages. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
    111. ↑ "YEMENIA REPLACES AIR COMORES". Africa Intelligence. 27 November 1999. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
    112. ↑ "Yemenia airline avoids EU blacklist despite crash". Reuters. 27 November 2009. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
    113. ↑ Papin, Robert (27 July 2014). "Yemenia: la communauté comorienne de Marseille opposée au retour de la compagnie" [Yemenia: The Comorian community in Marseille opposes the airline's return] (in French). France Info. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
    114. ↑ "Flight IY 626 on 30 June 2009 A310-300, registered 7O-ADJ" (Press release). Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety. Archived from the original on 8 February 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
    115. ↑ "Press release 30 June 2009" (Press release). BEA. 30 June 2009. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
    116. ↑ "Update: Press Release, High Commission of Civil Aviation Accidents". Yemen Post. Archived from the original on 3 July 2009.
    117. ↑ "Rapport d'étape sur l'Accident Survenu le 29 Juin 2009 En mer au large de Moroni (Comores) De l'Airbus A310-324 Immatriculé 7O-ADJ Exploité par la compagnie Yemenia Airways" [Progress report on the Accident on June 29, 2009 at sea off Moroni (Comoros) to the Airbus A310-324 Registered 7O-ADJ operated by the company Yemenia Airways] (PDF) (in French). National Civil Aviation and Meteorological Agency. 25 June 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 November 2021 – via Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety.
    118. ↑ Wall, Robert (20 July 2011). "BEA Blasts Comoros Over Yemenia Crash". Aviation Week & Space Technology. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
    119. ↑ Pasztor, Andy (10 November 2009). "Pilot Error Suspected in Yemenia Airways Crash". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
    120. ↑ Mouysset, Pierre (10 May 2022). "Un mois de procès pour éclairer les zones d'ombre du crash Yemenia 626" [A month long trial to shed light on the unanswered questions surrounding the Yemenia 626 crash] (in French). The Mayotte Journal. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
    121. ↑ "Annex 8 and Annex 9" (PDF). Government of Yemen.
    122. ↑ "وزير النقل ..سيتم اعادة فتح ملف سقوط الطائرة اليمنية في جزر القمر عام 2009 م" [The Minister of Transport stated that the case of the Yemeni plane crash in the Comoros Islands in 2009 will be reopened.] (in Arabic). Yemenat News. 30 March 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
    123. ↑ "CRASH DES COMORES: CONDAMNATION DE LA COMPAGNIE YEMENIA AIRWAYS, M-F. Steinlé-Feuerbach" [COMOROS CRASH: YEMENIA AIRWAYS, M-F. Steinlé-Feuerbach]. JAC CERDACC. 14 September 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
    124. ↑ "Crew to blame for 2009 Comoros plane crash: probe". Fox News. 25 June 2013. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
    125. ↑ Hradecky, Simon (29 June 2013). "Crash: Yemenia A313 near Moroni on Jun 30th 2009, impacted ocean". The Aviation Herald. Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
    126. ↑ "Yemenia: la colère des familles de victimes" [Yemenia: the anger of the families of the victims]. Info la Reunion (in French). 27 June 2013. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
    127. ↑ "Crash de la Yemenia,le devoir de mémoire" [Yemenia crash: the duty to remember] (in French). La Marseillaise. 1 July 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
    128. ↑ Troserro, Denis (30 June 2013). "Yemenia: un rassemblement à Marseille pour ne pas oublier le crash" [Yemenia: A gathering in Marseille to remember the crash] (in French). La Provence. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
    129. ↑ "Une stèle commémorative pour les victimes" [A memorial stele for the victims] (in French). Imaz Press. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
    130. ↑ "Crash Yemenia: la France offre une stèle en mémoire des victimes" [Yemenia plane crash: France offers a memorial stone for the victims] (in French). Linfo.re. 4 July 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
    131. ↑ "Crash de l'A310 / Dix ans après, les autorités annoncent « une amélioration sensible » de la sécurité aéroportuaire" [A310 crash / Ten years later, authorities announce "a significant improvement" in airport security] (in French). Alwatwan. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
    132. ↑ "Après le deuil, la colère" [After the mourning, anger] (in French). Paris Match. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
    133. ↑ "Crash Yéménia:Les familles reçoivent 20 000 euros" [Yemen crash: Families receive 20,000 euros] (in French). Linfo.Re. 8 September 2009. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
    134. ↑ "Crash de la Yemenia: « Aucun proche n'a reçu d'indemnités aux Comores »" [Yemenia crash: "No relatives have received compensation in the Comoros"] (in French). Jeune Afrique. 19 February 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
    135. ↑ "Il y a un an Bahia survivait au crash de la Yemenia Airlines..." [A year ago, Bahia survived the Yemenia Airlines crash...] (in French). Linfo.Re. 30 June 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
    136. ↑ "Yemenia: un préjudice moral pour les victimes avant leur décès" [Yemenia: Moral harm suffered by victims before their death] (in French). Tour Mag. 27 February 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
    137. ↑ "Crash de la Yemenia: six ans après, les familles ne décolèrent pas" [Yemenia crash: six years later, the families are still furious] (in French). Le Monde. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
    138. ↑ "French court to investigate deadly 2009 Yemenia Airways crash". France 24. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
    139. ↑ "Crash aérien en 2009 au large des Comores, la compagnie Yemenia Airways jugée à Paris" [Thirteen years after the crash of flight IY626, the trial of Yemenia Airways opened in Paris] (in French). Imaz Press. 8 May 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
    140. ↑ "France begins investigating 2009 Yemenia Airways crash that killed 152 people". Radio Francais Internationale. 10 May 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
    141. ↑ "Au procès du crash de la Yemenia, la seule rescapée attendue à la barre" [At the Yemenia crash trial, the only survivor is expected to testify] (in French). Seychelles News Agency. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
    142. ↑ "French court orders Yemenia airlines to pay for 2009 crash". Deutsche Welle. 14 September 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
    143. ↑ "French court convicts Yemenia Airways over fatal 2009 crash". Radio Francais Internationale. 14 September 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
    144. ↑ "Comores: La Yemenia jugée en appel à Paris" [Comoros: Yemenia's appeal hearing in Paris] (in French). Le Quotidien. 4 March 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
    145. ↑ "Crash du vol Yemenia Airways en 2009: la compagnie condamnée en appel pour homicides involontaires" [2009 Yemenia Airways crash: airline convicted on appeal of manslaughter] (in French). Radio Francais Internationale. 10 September 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
    146. ↑ "Crash aux Comores en 2009: la cour d'appel confirme la condamnation pour homicides involontaires de la Yemenia Airways" [2009 Comoros plane crash: the appeals court upholds Yemenia Airways' conviction for manslaughter.] (in French). Le Monde. 10 September 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
    147. Moindjie, Ali (1 July 2009). "Yemenia plane crash survivor found swimming among bodies in Indian Ocean". Agence France-Presse. Archived from the original on 4 July 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
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