Windhoek-Eros

The investigations revealed that during this operation the aircraft's take-off weight was exceeded by 629 pounds. The aircraft failed to maintain flying speed and stalled shortly after takeoff, rendering ground impact inevitable.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- This was the pilot's first flight from Eros Airport therefore being unfamiliar with the airport and the environmental phenomena's associated with it (especially taking off from runway 19),
- The pilot made one fundamental error in his weight calculation that he used the incorrect aircraft empty weight,
- The cargo that was in the cabin was packed between and underneath and on top of the seats and was not secured,
- The aircraft took off from runway 19, which was an upslope runway,
- Taking off from runway 19 the terrain kept rising with mountains straight ahead as well as to the left and right,
- The pilot retracted the flaps shortly after rotation, which resulted in an attitude change and performance (aircraft lost altitude), which should be regarded as a significant contributory factor to this accident,
- The pilot was observed to turn to the right shortly after takeoff, which increased the drag on the aircraft as well as the stall speed,
- Harsh anti-erosion rubber paint that was sprayed onto the leading edge of the wings resulted in an increased stall speed,
- Inadequate oversight by the regulatory authority should be regarded as a significant contributory factor to this accident.

Controlled flight into terrain caused by the combination of the following factors:
- The decision of the pilot to take off from an airfield that was not suitable for night operations,
- The absence of a copilot considerably increased the workload of the captain, assuming that the copilot could have assisted him in the reconnaissance of the terrain, the preparation of the flight, the assistance to the patient and the medical team,
- Lack of visibility due to the night and lack of visual reference points on the ground, especially since the pilot had to wear corrective glasses,
- The pilot could not clearly distinguish the various parameters displayed on his instrument's panel because he forgot his glasses.

The accident resulted due to a loss of control (aircraft becoming uncontrollable in the pitch and roll axis), which occurred approximately 35 to 40 seconds after lift-off/rotation. It was induced and aggravated by a 16% overload condition as well as the exceedance of the certified aft CG limitation of the aircraft. The investigation revealed that the aircraft was overloaded by approximately 16% 699.6kg). The cargo was not secured, nor was there a seat or a restraining device in the aircraft for the passenger that was onboard the ill-fated flight. The last Mandatory Periodic Inspection prior to the accident was certified on 30 May 2001 at 4 353.1 airframe hours, by AMO No. 273. Since the inspection was certified a further 96.6 hours were flown. The Certificate of Airworthiness for the aircraft was invalid at the time of the accident, as both engines have exceeded their TBO (time between overhaul) by approximately 185 hours.

The exact cause of the loss of control could not be established.