Unforgivable!! The Tragic tale of Air Algérie Flight 6289

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Very few things upset me anymore when I am researching these accident videos.
There is almost always good intent on behalf of all people involved and it is just a combination of technical factors, personalities and sometimes circumstances that ultimately leads to tragedy.

But there are still a few things that can make my blood boil and one of them is blatant lack of respect for procedures and the incredibly important safety role that we pilots play when things start to go wrong.

And in the light of that, todays story should be used as a cautionary tale for any budding professionals out there, be it in aviation or really any other safety-critical industry.
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Below you will find the links to videos and sources used in this episode.

SOURCES
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Final Report:

Videos:

Images:
1. 7T-VEZ, the Boeing 737–200 involved in the accident. (Ken Fielding)
2. Rescuers swarm the crash site of Air Algérie flight 6289 in search of survivors. (CNN)
3. A memorial to the 102 vic􀆟ms now stands at the site of the crash, on the shoulder of the Trans-Sahara highway. (Mechri Omar)

[ryleighsweet]

Holy cow, I can't even imagine the psychological rollercoaster that it must be to be the only person who survived a disaster specifically because you *weren't* following safety protocols

[jayocaracas]

I feel really bad for the first officer. That was an incident that turned into a disaster because of the captain's unprofessionalism. Thank you for the amazing content again, Petter and team!

[paulcrumley]

A long time ago, riding jump-seat in a 727-100 approaching Deadhorse, Alaska, I made an off-hand comment about the scenery. The captain said two words: "Sterile cockpit." Though I was not in the flight crew, his concern was that my simple one-sentence statement could begin a distraction, and he was right. I was on board as a riding mechanic, had no place in the cockpit communication chain at that point, and should have kept my mouth shut. I knew this. . .was ever more thoughtful after that. I appreciated his reprimand and manner amd grew my respect for his professionalism grew a lot that day.

[Perejil]

As someone who flew a heck of a lot during a 40 yr career and still flys a lot, I can honestly say Air Algerie in the 1990s was the only airline that made me fear for my safety. I now realize I’m so lucky to be here today.

[cyul]

As a pilot, an instructor, and an evaluator, this makes my blood boil. The indifference of the captain, his obvious entitlement, his lack of professionalism… Some people should not be allowed to call themselves pilots.

[milescorporosus]

_Of course_ the guy who hasn't been paying attention, isn't prepared, and doesn't understand what's going on takes control away from the only person doing their job.

[barbarachambers]

The amount of indifference by the captain is horrifying. He knows damn good and well what should have happened. RIP...

[denizbaroncello]

I am a former Turkish flight attendant that performed Air Algerie flights between 2008-2010. I guess the pilot in command probably was a sexist man and feeling guilty inside to be late for flight. His ego took the plane down. I was a flghy attendant in Istanbul and my company had a wet lease agreement with Air Algerie. in 3 years nearly in every 2 months we had 2 weeks layovers in Algeria. One of my Algerian colleagues had told me this accident and that he lost his beloved female colleage and that female hostess was all burned and black :(( He had told me this story during a ferry flight of Air Algerie aircraft back in 2009, 6 years later this horrific disaster. May them RIP except that pilot in command.

[slimanehadjbrahim]

We lost in this disaster a whole family of a beloved friend and his parents
Now its 20 years left
Thanks for this amazing work you did to show us what the country will never dare to show

[FlyingDoctor]

One thing you didn’t discuss was the ‘power gradient’ in the cockpit. It is unfortunate that the FO ever agreed to start engines and leave the gate after such a shabby preflight performance by the captain, but I suspect that the operational culture of the airline was such that she feared losing her job if she canceled the flight because the captain was not prepared to fly and was blatantly and repeatedly disregarding SOP. One would hope that a FO in this situation could say, “Hey, let’s pause a minute Captain, because we really don’t seem to be on the same page here and I’d like us to be working as a team. Can we talk about this for a minute please?” or something like that, but I’m pretty sure that, in these circumstances, even that sort of diplomatic pushback from a female FO toward a male captain just wasn’t possible. Ego and hubris have killed a lot of people in airplanes.

[johnmahoney]

I spent 42 years as a professional pilot, 24 years as a US Navy pilot, and 18 years as an airline pilot, trust me this guy is a professional and really does a great job explaining things to people with no experience or knowledge how to fly these very complex planes. You can believe what he says.

[ImpartiallySpeaking]

My father was a steward on BOAC in the 1940s and during regular flights to Sweden, part of his job was to take supplies of alcohol to the pilots. How times have changed!

[giggiddy]

I used to compare YT channels to the "professional" stuff that Discovery and History Channel would put out. Frankly, the standard of the industry is now being set by channels like this one. The research, content, and graphics are superior to most other commercially produced shows with huge budgets. Very well done sir! We certainly appreciate what you do.

[ZombieSazza]

I feel so horribly for the first officer, she was doing her absolute best and was ignored constantly, just not listened to. What a shocker the unprofessionalism by the captain would lead to a horrible incident

The sole survivor however is absolutely crazy, if he’d put on his seatbelt he likely wouldn’t have survived

[kalashnicovcosis]

The captain not participating in the pre flight checks and just goof of with the personel, is a massive red flag! Him allowing his friend on the flightdeck, chatting away rather than participating in the take off... Simply unforgivable!

[neilammar]

Her name was Fatima Yusfi. She was an excellent pilot according to her colleagues and her records. Above all the technical issues and the lack of professionalism on the captain's part there was also an obvious misogyny problem. Mrs Yusfi wasn't the first femme pilot in Algeria but was amongst the first at Air algerie. The company now counts 7.5% of female pilots with a great number of captains and I want to believe that this terrible accident would have definitely had a major impact on the relation and acceptance of women in the cockpit. May all the victims rest in peace and be remembered for ever.
Thanks for these excellent video.

[Mari-tryr]

It amazes me how many things pilots need to take into consideration before each flight, the amount of knowledge they
must maintain is incredible!

[OvelNick]

"We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training."
I'm not a pilot but it's a pretty damn good way to approach anything.

[TheMarcelism]

Who would have guessed, not paying attention to the safety briefing and not fastening his seatbelt ended up saving his life. What a lucky chap!!

[lordwheelie]

Another major overlooked factor could be that of the cultural barrier which would probably hinder a more aged male captain from taking his junior female first officer seriously. The fact that he took back all controls could be a confirmation of this barrier.