During France’s intervention in the Chad-Libya war in 1987, the French restricted air traffic over Chad. No aerial traffic was allowed in an area that extended from the 16th parallel to the outskirts of the capital N’Djamena.
Civilian pilots didn’t always respect these air-traffic measures, especially as civil flights that sought to save fuel by cutting through the forbidden zone.
It was dangerous air space. Over the summer of 1987, Libyan Tu-22s and Il-76 cargo planes acting as bombers struck several towns near the 16th parallel, in particular Faya-Largeau. The Il-76s dropped dozens of pallets of bombs on a palm grove near the town, killing several local people.
On Sept. 7, 1987, French troops fired a HAWK missile and shot down a Libyan Tu-22 bomber over N’Djamena. Two days later, an unknown aircraft flew over Chad toward the capital. It was flying at subsonic speed and not responding to radio calls.
Civilian pilots didn’t always respect these air-traffic measures, especially as civil flights that sought to save fuel by cutting through the forbidden zone.
It was dangerous air space. Over the summer of 1987, Libyan Tu-22s and Il-76 cargo planes acting as bombers struck several towns near the 16th parallel, in particular Faya-Largeau. The Il-76s dropped dozens of pallets of bombs on a palm grove near the town, killing several local people.
On Sept. 7, 1987, French troops fired a HAWK missile and shot down a Libyan Tu-22 bomber over N’Djamena. Two days later, an unknown aircraft flew over Chad toward the capital. It was flying at subsonic speed and not responding to radio calls.
A U.S. Air Force C-141 Almost Got Itself Shot Down Over Chad - 1987 was a stressful year over Central Africa
I have flown this same Starlifter (49638) many times from my home base KWRI. Diplomatic Clearance briefings provided to crews at that time were inadequate and lacking in detail and timeliness. In many respects, the most difficult aspect of executing flights in international and sovereign airspace of other nations was obtaining accurate diplomatic clearances. Additionally, crews were generally inadequately trained and prepared to apply the vast number of ICAO rules facing them during lengthy international flights.
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Wow. This c-141 is amazing. I saw this jet's article some days ago. It is very fast jet among all the jets. US Air Force jet's go through in a dangerous air space. Now it will be easy for them.
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