The Fatal Descent of Nation Air Flight 2120

A passenger charter flight in 1991 ended in one of the deadliest aviation disasters after departing from Jeddah. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft suffered a catastrophic failure that began in the landing gear area and quickly escalated into an uncontrollable onboard fire.The investigation revealed that the sequence of events started with severely underinflated tires, which overheated and burst during the takeoff roll. When the landing gear was retracted, the resulting fire was drawn into the aircraft structure, rapidly spreading into critical systems. This caused extensive damage to hydraulics and flight controls while thick smoke filled the cabin.As the situation worsened, the crew lost the ability to control the aircraft, and it eventually crashed with no survivors. Investigators later found that maintenance procedures had been improperly followed, and key safety checks were not completed. In some cases, records had been falsified to keep the aircraft in service.The disaster exposed serious weaknesses in operational oversight and maintenance practices, particularly regarding tire servicing and fire risks in wheel well areas. It led to major changes in aviation safety regulations, including improved fire detection systems and stricter maintenance accountability, and ultimately contributed to the collapse of the operating airline.You can listen and download our episodes for free on more than 10 different platforms:https://linktr.ee/Air_Crash_ChroniclesProduced by Podcai Studio:https://www.podcaistudio.com/