Entebbe

The aircraft departed London-Gatwick Airport on a cargo flight to Entebbe, carrying seven crew members and a load of 50 tons of various goods. After landing by night on runway 17, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance (runway 17/35 is 12,000 feet long), overran and plunged in the Lake Victoria. The aircraft broke in two and all seven crew members were rescued 10 minutes later.

The twin engine aircraft departed Entebbe on an on-demand taxi flight to Kasese, carrying 10 passengers and one pilot. In unclear circumstances, the aircraft crashed in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park, in the region of Kasese. The exact cause of the accident is unknown but it was reported that the pilot's body showed two bullet wounds. The passengers were on a gold buying mission carrying a large amount of cash that was not found in the wreckage.

The aircraft was f1ying from Entebbe (Uganda) to Mwanza (Tanzania) for the purpose of uplifting some cargo of fish fillet which was bound for Ostend, Belgium. It was carrying a crew of four including two pilot s and two engineers. The Commander said that the flight from Entebbe to Mwanza was normal except for the n°1 generator warning light which came on 10 minutes after takeoff from Entebbe. The relevant generator was subsequently switched off and the flight was continued. The aircraft flew IFR, cruising at FL250. Shortly before landing at Mwanza the commander obtained the weather information from the Mwanza Tower. The wind was calm. The controller who was handling the flight said that whilst approaching runway 12 of Mwanza airport the aircraft was swaying from side to side. When EL-WVD touched down on the runway a loud bang was heard and one engine was observed to separate and roll down the runway whilst it was on fire. Examination of the impact and tire marks showed that the right wing tip impacted the runway first followed by the n°4 engine. The right main landing gear subsequently contacted the grass surface off the left edge of the runway followed by the left main landing gear. The aircraft continued to roll in a direction almost parallel to the runway centreline for 250 metres before it crossed the runway at an angle. It was also evident from the tyre marks that as it reached the runway the aircraft made a 180° turn to point in the opposite direction whilst sliding sideways at an angle with the centreline under its own momentum. As it did so, the main landing gear collapsed and three wing pylons sheared causing the engines to separate. EL-WVD finally settled at the edge of the runway pointing 310° with the right wing projecting 2.5 metres inside the runway. There was fuel leakage but no fire. The four crew members disembarked with minor injuries.

The aircraft was operating circuits, from Entebbe Airport, for the purpose of a DHC-4 Type Rating (Night) Flight Examination. The cadet pilot was flying the aircraft from the left hand seat while the check captain occupied the right hand seat. There were no passengers. The first circuit involved a simulated hydraulic failure and was completed without incident. During the second circuit the starboard engine was intentionally feathered and the aircraft made a landing approach on one engine. Just prior to touchdown a sudden increase in engine power resulted in the aircraft yawing and rolling steeply towards the starboard side. The aircraft started skidding on its starboard wheel and wing tip. It skidded across the runway and over the adjoining grass strip, towards the aerodrome boundary. Somme 220 m further down, the aircraft crossed a drainage ditch and crashed through a barbed wire fence around the aerodrome perimeter. The fuselage broke in half during the crash and the wreckage came to a halt approximately 15 m beyond the aerodrome perimeter. The check captain suffered severe back injuries; the cadet pilot sustained no injuries. Investigations carried out after the accident revealed that the aircraft was operating satisfactorily prior to the accident. It is concluded that the probable cause of the accident was the application of considerable engine power when the aircraft was in an asymmetric landing configuration and at a speed probably below the single engine minimum control speed (Vmc). Lack of understanding between the two flight crew as to what each was doing immediately prior to the accident and the student/instructor relationship between the two crew members as well as the prevailing dark night conditions were contributory factors.

On final approach to Entebbe Airport, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed short of runway threshold. All four passengers were injured while the pilot was killed. It is believed he suffered a heart attack.

The crew was completing a humanitarian flight from Pisa to Albertville with an intermediate stop at Entebbe on behalf of UNO. After touchdown at Albertville Airport, the crew started the braking procedure when one of the undercarriage struck a hole in the runway surface. On impact, the undercarriage was sheared off, control was lost and the airplane veered off runway before coming to rest in flames. Four crew members were killed while six other occupants were injured.

On the leg from Cairo to Entebbe, while cruising at an altitude of 9,500 feet, the engine number two caught fire. The crew feathered the propeller and elected to extinguish the fire but without success. As the fire could not be contained, the captain decided to reduce his altitude and to attempt an emergency landing. The airplane belly landed in a sandy area located near El Badary, about 30 km south of Asyut and came to rest in flames. All 67 occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was totally destroyed by fire.

Crashed while taking off from Entebbe Airport. There were no casualties but the aircraft was seriously damaged.

While approaching Nairobi-Eastleigh Airport by night, the airplane struck a hill located about 19 km from the airfield and was destroyed upon impact. All seven occupants were killed. The crew was belonging to the Maltese Corps.

The American writer Ernest Hemingway and his wife Mary were completing a safari in the region of the Muchison Falls in Uganda when their Cessna 180 registered VP-KLI hit a utility pole and crashed in a field on January 23. As they were wounded, it was decided to transfer them to Entebbe and a DH.89 of East African Airways was chartered. While taking off from Butiaba Airstrip, the Dragon exploded and crashed in flames. The aircraft was destroyed and all four occupants were seriously injured and burned.