Garoua

The pilot departed Garoua Airport on a positioning flight to Yaoundé after 6pm which is prohibited for such type of aircraft. En route, he encountered fuel/engine problems and elected to divert to the Foumban Airport which is located about 20 km northeast of Foumbot. By night, the single engine airplane struck trees and crashed in a wooded and hilly terrain. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was destroyed. It is believed that fuel leaked from the tank after a fuel cap has been damaged during a previous stop at Tamanrasset Airport. Also, the pilot was not experienced in flight operations in Africa.

The crew was supposed to make a cargo flight from Rotterdam to Port Harcourt with intermediate stop at Palma de Majorca, Tamanrasset and Fort Lamy, carrying a load of 3,600 machine guns for the Biafra Government. As the official documentation could not be obtained via the Dutch Authorities for exportation to Africa, the crew flew from Rotterdam to Birmingham, UK before continuing to Spain. While in cruising altitude over Cameroun, the crew lost his orientation and was unable to locate his position with certainty. Due to fuel exhaustion, all four engines stopped and the captain decided to attempt an emergency landing. A belly landing was completed in a prairie and while contacting ground, the airplane broke into four pieces before coming to rest. All four crew members were rescued. It was reported the crew failed to obtain the appropriate charts to fly over West Africa.

Shortly after takeoff from Garoua Airport, while climbing, the airplane stalled and crashed, killing all four occupants.