2016 Malta Fairchild Merlin crash
N577MX, the aircraft involved in the accident, photographed in 2011 | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 24 October 2016 |
| Summary | Mechanical Failure |
| Site | |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Fairchild SA227-AT Merlin IVC |
| Operator | CAE Aviation |
| Registration | N577MX |
| Flight origin | Malta International Airport |
| Destination | Malta International Airport |
| Occupants | 5 |
| Passengers | 3 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 5 |
| Survivors | 0 |
On 24 October 2016, a twin turboprop Fairchild SA227-AT Merlin IVC operated by CAE Aviation crashed near Kirkop, Malta, shortly after take-off from Malta International Airport. The aircraft was to operate in the vicinity of Misrata in Libya on a surveillance mission by the French Ministry of Defence. All five people on board the aircraft died in the crash, making it the deadliest aviation accident in Malta since 1975.