Beechcraft 200 Super King Air

The twin engine aircraft was completing a special flight from Luanda to Abidjan with an intermediate stop in Lomé, carrying seven UNO emissaries and one pilot. While descending to Abidjan-Félix Houphouët-Boigny Airport, the pilot encountered very low visibility due to foggy conditions. On approach, the aircraft entered a left turn then an uncontrolled descent and crashed about 30 km from the airport. All eight occupants were killed, among them Alioune Blondin Béye, Malian Minister of Foreign Affairs, aged 59.

Following an uneventful flight from Las Palmas, the crew started the descent to Banjul-Yundum Airport. The visibility was limited due to the night and poor weather conditions with low clouds and heavy rain falls from a tropical storm. On final approach, the aircraft crashed 4,300 metres short of runway 32. The wreckage was found 800 metres to the right of the extended centerline. A passenger was seriously injured while nine other occupants, among them German tourists, were killed.

The pilot was cleared for a localizer approach by Atlanta Center and told to maintain 5,000 feet until crossing the final approach fix (FAF). Normal altitude at the FAF was 2,700 feet. The pilot was unable to land from this approach and performed a missed approach. He was handed off to Chattanooga Approach, then was cleared to cross the FAF at 3,000 feet and perform another localizer approach. About one mile from the FAF, the pilot was told to change to the airport advisory frequency. The pilot acknowledged, then there was no further communication with the aircraft. A short time later, witnesses heard the aircraft crash near the approach end of the runway. Examination of the crash site showed the aircraft had touched down in a grass area about 1,100 feet from the end of the runway, while on the localizer. Propeller slash marks showed both engines were operating at approach power and the aircraft was at approach speed. No evidence of precrash mechanical failure or malfunction of the aircraft structure, flight controls, systems, engines, or propellers was found. The 0621 weather was in part: 300 feet overcast and 1/2 mile visibility with fog. Minimum descent altitude (MDA) for the localizer approach was 1,180 feet msl; airport elevation was 710 feet. The pilot had flown 8 flight hours, was on duty for 13.6 hours the day before the accident, was off duty for about 6 hrs, and had about 4 hours of sleep before the accident flight.

On final approach to Luanda-4 de Fevereiro Airport, following an uneventful flight from Lucapa, both engines failed simultaneously. The aircraft lost speed then stalled and crashed 510 metres short of runway threshold. All six occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed. As no fuel was available at Lucapa and Dundo Airport, the crew prepared the tour with a fuel autonomy of six hours, which should be a minimum as the flight calculation for the all tour was five hours and 20 minutes. It was determined that in-flight, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and was forced to modify his route, increasing flight time and fuel consumption.

During the takeoff roll, the twin engine aircraft struck a dip, causing a propeller to struck the ground and the aircraft to lose power and speed. Unable to take off, the aircraft veered off runway to the left, went through three fences, crossed a dirt road and came to rest in an open field. All seven occupants were rescued, among them one was slightly injured. The aircraft was dispatched in Steynsburg to enable five forensic experts and detectives to conduct an investigation of suspected arson, as the Grand Hotel at the town was destroyed by fire.

The flight was on a coupled instrument landing system (ILS) approach with 1/2 mile visibility in snow showers. Three successive fixes on the localizer are defined by distance measuring equipment (DME) paired with the ILS; prior to the ILS DME commissioning 6 months before the accident, the DME fixes were defined by a VORTAC 4.7 nautical miles past the ILS DME. The aircraft was 800 feet high at the first fix and 1,500 feet high at the second, but approximately on altitude 4.7 nautical miles past the first and second fixes, respectively. It passed the outer marker 900 feet high and captured the glide slope from above about 1.8 nautical miles from the threshold, 500 feet above decision height (DH) and 700 feet above touchdown. The aircraft was on glide slope for 28 seconds, during which time its speed decayed to stall speed; it then dropped below glide slope and crashed 1.3 nautical miles short of the threshold. The pilot's FLT DIR DME-1/ DME-2 switch, which control the DME display on the pilot's horizontal situation indicator (HSI), was found set to DME-2; the NAV-2 radio was set to the VORTAC frequency. Up to 800 feet may be required for stall recovery.