punkalouver : Caution . It is a bit more complicated than what this short report says . The way the Flight planning of the Tu154, was done, the single plan with 2 legs ( non ICAO standard) and the subsequent non-rerouting of the 2nd leg of the PLN by Niamey due faulty AFTN were critical to the accident. They also apparently ( suggested in the German AF verbal briefing in March 1998) decided , because they could not contact Luanda, to change their route to avoid Angola airspace , and go over the sea to re-join Windhoek. Luanda and Windhoek did not had their Flight Plan.
Flying (way) off route, at the wrong altitude not talking to anyone and expecting to see and avoid at 450 Kts was streching the odds a bit too far.
Totally different from the Gol/legacy collision.