A UPS Boeing 747-400 freighter, registration N571UP performing flight 5X-6 from Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to Cologne (Germany) with 2 crew, was returning to Dubai after declaring emergency, when the airplane crashed onto a free space west of Dubai Silicon Oasis and Al-Ain Highway (E66) about half way between Emirates Road (E311) and Outer Bypass Road (E611) at about 19:45L (15:45Z). Both crew perished in the crash.
UPS confirmed their Boeing 747-400 performing flight 5X-6 from Dubai to Cologne with 2 crew crashed on takeoff. They have no word on the fate of their crew.
An airport official said, the crew reported technical problems while on approach to Dubai.
An United Arab Emirates official said, the crew reported fire on board while on approach to Dubai. The airplane, that had taken off at 18:40L (14:40Z) was being vectored towards a military compound.
United Arab Emirates General Aviation Civil Authority said, that the crew had reported smoke and fire in the cockpit and was returning to Dubai International Airport. The airplane failed to land however and disappeared from radar screens shortly thereafter.
Residents of Dubai Silicon Oasis said, the airplane crashed right in front of their apartment blocks.
Aviation sources in Dubai report, that the crew declared emergency reporting a fire in the cockpit shortly after takeoff and attempted to return to the airport's runway 30L dumping fuel. The airplane was seen flying very low at a shallow descent until impact, where the airplane erupted in a large fire ball. Several buildings, apparently all of them under construction, have been set on fire by the crash.
Pilots on frequency of Bahrain Center reported, that the airplane had been enroute overhead the Arabian Gulf about 120nm eastnortheast of Dubai when the crew performed an emergency descent and reported a fire in the cockpit. Later they reported they were unable to read their instruments and were unable to change frequency asking for frequent updates on their altitude and speed from ATC. They were vectored for a straight in approach to Dubai's runway 12L. Being too high and too fast for landing they were offered to divert to Sharjah or join a right hand downwind for another visual approach to runway 12L. The airplane impacted ground about 20 minutes after declaring emergency.