Swiftair MD83 over Mali on Jul 24th 2014, aircraft lost altitude

A Swiftair McDonnell Douglas MD-83 on behalf of Air Algerie, registration EC-LTV performing flight AH-5017 from Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) to Algiers (Algeria) with 110 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute over Mali near Gao about 50 minutes into the flight at around 02:55L (01:55Z), when contact with the aircraft was lost. There are no reports that the aircraft landed at an airport, that the aircraft could have reached. In the meantime the aircraft would have run out of fuel.

At about 12:30Z the commander of a United Nations mission in Mali reported the aircraft crashed between Gao and Tessalit (in northern Mali near the border to Algeria). There is no word about the fate of the occupants.

Swiftair and Air Algerie confirmed they have lost contact to the aircraft at about 03:00L/02:00Z.

Swiftair reports, their MD-83 departed Burkina Faso at 01:17Z with 110 passengers and 6 crew and was estimated to arrive in Algiers at 05:10Z but has not reached the destination. The airline is working to find out what happened.

Air Algerie report the last contact with flight AH-5017 took place at 01:55Z, about 50 minutes after takeoff. The airline have invoked their emergency plans.

Swiftair have set up a call center for family members of passengers: Phone number +34 900 264 270.

There are unconfirmed media reports out of Egypt/Lebanon that the aircraft may have flown around Mali, crossed into Niger's airspace and crashed near Niger's capital city Niamey.

Sources within Air Algerie report, the aircraft took the route over Mali.

Algeria's Prime Minister reported the aircraft disappeared near Gao in Mali, about 500km south of the border between Mali and Algeria.

Map (Graphics: AVH/Google Earth):

Overview Map (Graphics: AVH/Google Earth):