Maputo

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Maputo - Luanda

MSN:

190-00581

YOM:

2012

Flight number:

LAM470

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

9052

Captain / Total hours on type:

2519.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1183

Copilot / Total hours on type:

101

Aircraft flight hours:

2905

Aircraft flight cycles:

1877

Circumstances:

Aircraft left Maputo Airport at 1126LT on flight LAM470 to Luanda, Angola. En route, while overflying Botswana and Namibia, aircraft encountered bad weather conditions with CB's at high altitude and turbulence. In unknown circumstances, aircraft went out of control and disappeared from radar screens at 1230LT, most probably after diving into the ground. As the aircraft did not arrive at Luanda, SAR commenced but were suspended by night due to low visibility and bad weather conditions (heavy rain falls). The day after, on 30NOV, Namibia Police forces announced they located the wreckage in the Bwabwata National Park, near Divundu. Aircraft was completely destroyed by impact forces and post impact fire. All 33 occupants were killed, among them 16 Mozambicans, 9 Angolans, 5 Portuguese, one French, one Brazilian and one Chinese. The aircraft crashed in a dense wooded and isolated area, sot SAR are difficult. No distress call was sent by the crew.

Probable cause:

A press conference provided by the Mozambican authorities on 21DEC2013 reported that CVR analysis revealed that the captain was alone in the cockpit which was locked. The copilot tried to enter without success and was knocking on the door several times, without answer or any reaction on part of the captain who engaged the aircraft in a descent rate of 6,000 feet per minute until impact with the ground. Several warning sounds and alarms were not responded to. On April 15, 2016, the Directorate of Aircraft Accident Investigations (DAAI) of Namibia confirmed in its final report that the accident was caused by the inputs to the auto flight systems by the person believed to be the Captain, who remained alone on the flight deck when the person believed to be the co-pilot requested to go to the lavatory, caused the aircraft to departure from cruise flight to a sustained controlled descent and subsequent collision with the terrain. Investigations revealed that the captain suffered personal events during the past year, such as a divorce, the death of his son in a car crash and one of his daughter that underwent heart surgery.

Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft 1900C-1 in Maputo

Date & Time: Dec 3, 2010 at 2340 LT

Type of aircraft:

Beechcraft 1900C

Operator:

Registration:

C9-AUO

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante

Schedule:

Nampula - Maputo

MSN:

UC-148

YOM:

1991

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The flight from Nampula was uneventful until the approach to Maputo. Due to bad weather conditions at destination, the crew was vectored to a holding pattern. After two circuits, the captain decided to start the descent despite ATC informed him about very poor conditions. At this time, the visibility was reduced due to the night, heavy rain falls, thunderstorm activity with turbulences and lightnings. On final approach to runway 23, the aircraft was too low and impacted ground short of runway in a slight nose-up attitude. Upon impact, the aircraft broke in two and came to rest in a field. All 17 occupants escaped with minor injuries and the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of an Embraer EMB-110P2 Bandeirante in Maputo: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 8, 2000 at 1007 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Sabin Air

Registration:

C9-AUH

Flight Phase:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Maputo - Manzini

MSN:

110-186

YOM:

1978

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Maputo Airport in excellent weather conditions, the aircraft lost height and crashed onto several houses located in the 25th June district near the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all 18 occupants were rescued. Unfortunately, a woman in a house was killed. All passengers were students going back home.

Crash of a Boeing 747SP-44 in Maputo

Date & Time: Oct 5, 1998 at 0955 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 747SP

Operator:

Registration:

ZS-SPF

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Maputo - Lisbon

MSN:

21263

YOM:

1977

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Maputo Airport, while climbing, the engine n°3 failed, exploded and caught fire. Debris struck the engine n°4 and punctured the right wing and a fuel tank, causing a severe fire. The crew was cleared for an immediate return. Following a normal approach and landing, the aircraft was stopped on the main runway and all 66 occupants evacuated safely. The aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Boeing 737-2B1 in Lichinga

Date & Time: Feb 9, 1989

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 737-200

Operator:

Registration:

C9-BAD

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Schedule:

Maputo - Lichinga

MSN:

20786

YOM:

1973

Flight number:

TM195

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

102

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The approach and landing at Lichinga Airport was completed in heavy rain falls. After touchdown, the aircraft suffered aquaplaning and was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran, lost a gear and an engine then came to rest few dozen meters further. All 108 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-DL in Quelimane: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1988

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

African Air Charters

Registration:

N47FE

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Quelimane - Maputo

MSN:

19536

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After takeoff from Quelimane Airport, while climbing, the aircraft was shot down by a surface-to-air missile and crashed in a field, bursting into flames. Both pilots were killed.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a surface-to-air missile.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-134A-3 in Komatipoort: 34 killed

Date & Time: Oct 19, 1986 at 2121 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev TU-134

Operator:

Mozambican Government

Registration:

C9-CAA

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Government

Survivors:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Mbala – Maputo

MSN:

63457

YOM:

1980

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

13056

Captain / Total hours on type:

7523.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

3790

Copilot / Total hours on type:

2380

Aircraft flight hours:

1105

Circumstances:

The Tupolev 134 departed Mbala (MMQ), Zambia, for a flight back to Maputo (MPM). The flight carried Mozambique president Samora Machel who had attended a meeting of African leaders in Zambia. While approaching Maputo, an inadvertent selection of the MATSAPA VOR frequency caused the crew to execute a premature 37-degrees turn. Although the pilot queried the turn, no effort was made to verify it by using the available navigational aids. The aircraft descended below the 3000 feet limit in spite of not having visual contact with Maputo. The crew erroneously assumed a power failure at Maputo. A 32-second GPWS warning was ignored and the aircraft collided with the ground at 2187 feet, bounced and crashed into an uphill slope. The aircraft broke up, slid across the South African/Eswatini border and caught fire. Machel, along with 33 other occupants did not survive the accident.

Probable cause:

The cause of the accident was that the flight crew failed to follow procedural requirements for an instrument let-down approach , but continued to descend under visual flight rules in darkness and some cloud, i.e. without having visual contact with the ground, below minimum safe altitude, and in addition the ignored GPWS alarm.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-30-DL in Maputo: 17 killed

Date & Time: Jul 10, 1986

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

7312

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Maputo - Harare

MSN:

9492

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Maputo Airport, while climbing, the aircraft suffered an engine failure, stalled and crashed. Five occupants were injured while 17 others were killed.

Probable cause:

Engine failure during initial climb for unknown reasons.

Crash of an Antonov AN-26 in Pemba: 49 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1986 at 1015 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-26

Operator:

Registration:

042

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Pemba - Maputo

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Pemba Airport, while climbing, the crew declared an emergency following engine problems. The crew was cleared to return and initiated a turn when one of the engine caught fire. The airplane went out of control and crashed, bursting into flames. Five passengers were rescued while 44 others were killed.

Probable cause:

Engine fire for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander in Chongoene: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 15, 1985

Type of aircraft:

Britten-Norman Islander

Operator:

Registration:

C9-AMV

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type: