Bala'in da ya faru a Kufra ya wakana a watan Mayu na shekarar 1942 yayin da ake yakin duniya na biyu. Wannan lamari ya shafi matukan jirgin sama guda 12 daga ƙasar Afirka ta Kudu, waɗanda ke tuka jiragen sama nau'in Bristol Blenheim Mark IV guda uku na rundunar No. 15 Squadron ta rundunar sojin sama ta Afirka ta Kudu ( Sojojin Sama na Kasar Afirka ta Kudu). Sakamakon kuskuren lissafin hanyarsu kusa da hamadar Kufra a Libya, jiragen sun yi saukar gaggawa a cikin Hamadar Libya. Abin takaici, daga cikin mutane 12, mutum ɗaya kaɗai ya tsira yayin da sauran mutum 11 suka mutu sakamakon kishirwa da kuma yanayin zafi mai tsanani.

Rundunar Sojin Sama ta Afirka ta Kudu ta 15 Squadron, wacce aka sanye da jiragen Bristol Blenheim Mark IV, ta tashi daga Afirka ta Kudu a watan Janairun 1942 domin yin aiki a cikin Misira don tallafawa rundunonin kawayen yakin duniya na biyu a Yakin Afirka ta Arewa na World War II. Rundunar ta isa Misira a watan Fabrairun 1942 kuma ta kafa sansaninta a kudancin Amreya, kusa da Alexandria. Sai dai, daga cikin dakarun rundunar, mutum biyu kawai – shugaban rundunar, Lieutenant Colonel H. H. Borckenhagen da Kyaftin J. L. V. de Wet – ne suka da kwarewa a ayyukan da suka shafi hamada.

Rundunar ta samu umarni da ta tura wani rukunin jirage zuwa oasis na Kufra, wanda yake a cikin tsakar Hamadar Libya a kudu maso gabashin Libya. Aikin su shi ne tallafawa rundunar ƙasa ta kawayen da ke tsaron Kufra ta hanyar gudanar da binciken sama, kariya daga hare-haren iska, da kuma taimaka wa Long Range Desert Group, wacce ke gudanar da ayyukan baya a bayan layin sojojin Jamus a kudancin Libya.

A ranar 8 ga Afrilu, 1942, ma’aikata guda 47 daga sansanin ƙasa suka tashi zuwa Kufra. Sun yi tafiyar ne ta hanyar jirgin ƙasa, jirgin ruwa, da motocin ƙasa, inda suka isa a ranar 25 ga Afrilu. A halin da ake ciki, sabon jagoran rukunin, Manjo J. L. V. de Wet, wanda aka ɗaga matsayin sa kwanan nan, ya tashi zuwa Kufra a ranar 11 ga Afrilu don yin shirye-shiryen ƙarshe kafin isowar sauran rukunin.

Rundunar 15 Squadron ta zaɓi mafi kyawun jiragen sama nau'in Blenheim guda uku (Z7513, Z7610, da T2252) don wannan aikin. Kowanne jirgi yana ɗauke da matukan jirgi guda uku. Sun isa Kufra a ranar 28 ga Afrilu, 1942, ta hanyar tashi daga Amariya ta hanyar Wadi Halfa don guje wa wucewa ta yankin da abokan gaba ke sarrafawa. Da suka isa Kufra, sai suka gano cewa tashar gano hanyoyi ta iskar sama da ke Kufra ba ta aiki yadda ya kamata. A Amariya, Laftanar Kanal H. H. Borckenhagen, wanda ba shi da hanyar sadarwa kai tsaye zuwa Kufra, ya nemi hedkwatar Royal Air Force a yankin da ta isar da umarninsa ga Manjo de Wet da ya tsayar da aikin jiragen har sai an gyara tashar gano hanyoyin gaba ɗaya.

A ranar 3 ga Mayu, 1942, tashar gano hanyoyi ta dawo aiki yadda ya kamata, kuma Manjo de Wet ya ba matukan jirgin sa bayani kan jirgin farko na sanin hanya, wanda shi ne zai jagoranta da sanyin safiyar ranar gobe. Wannan jirgi na horo ya kasance don koyar da matukan hanya, gano wuraren gani a yankin, da kuma samun kwarewa wajen tuka jirage a cikin hamada. Ana sa ran jirgin zai yi gudun gaske na 150 mph (240 km/h), kuma tafiyar ta biyo hanyar da ta kusan zama murabba'i.

Hanyar jirgin ta fara ne daga Kufra zuwa Rebiana, Libya, tazarar da ta kai 83 miles (134 km) a kan alkibla ta 269°. Sannan sai a yi tafiya ta biyu mai nisan 51.5 miles (82.9 km) a kan alkibla ta 358° zuwa Bzema, sai kuma leg na uku mai nisan 64 miles (103 km) a kan alkibla ta 63° zuwa Landing Ground 007 (LG-007 Matruh West). Daga nan, sai tafiya ta ƙarshe mai nisan mil 83.5 (134-km) a kan alkibla ta 162° zuwa Kufra, tare da kimanin lokacin isowa (ETA) a Kufra na 07:42.

Baya ga matukan jirgi guda uku a kowanne jirgi, kowanne jirgi yana ɗauke da ƙwararren kula da makamai (armourer) don taimakawa wajen kula da makaman cikin jirgin yayin tafiya. Haka kuma, kowanne jirgi ya kasance da abinci na kwanaki huɗu tare da ruwa.

Bayan karɓar rahoton yanayin safiyar farko na yankin wanda ya nuna ganin hanya na 2.5 miles (4.0 km), tare da iska daga alkibla ta 60° a gudun 19 to 24 mph (31 to 39 km/h) a matsayi na 1,600 feet (490 m), Manjo de Wet ya ƙi amfani da binciken yanayin iska ta amfani da balon yanayi – wani kuskuren da ya zama mai hatsari.