Africa | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

An engine failed in flight. Due to the combination of an engine out and a high OAT, the crew was unable to maintain a safe altitude despite full power on the remaining engine. The airplane lost speed and height and eventually stalled before crashing on the slope of a mountain located near Kivu Lake. All three crew members and 36 passengers were killed while four passengers were injured.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-20-DK near Jimma: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 15, 1960 at 1240 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

ET-T-18

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Bulki – Jimma

MSN:

12926

YOM:

1944

Flight number:

ET372

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

13674

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Bulki at 1204LT on a flight to Jimma, carrying a crew of three, eight passengers and a load of coffee. On approach, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions and as the airplane was too low, it struck the slope of a mountain located about 27 km south of the airfield. Ten occupants were injured while one of the pilot was killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was caused by the following:
- The pilot misjudged the weather conditions in that he continued to fly into deteriorating weather conditions while trying to maintain visual flight rules,
- He misjudged the performance capabilities of the aircraft in that he attempted to climb at a speed below the minimum safe climbing speed of the aircraft.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide in Léopoldville

Date & Time: Jun 20, 1960

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide

Operator:

Air Brousse

Registration:

OO-ARN

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

6785

YOM:

1936

Location:

Kinshasa-Ndolo

Kinshasa City Province

Country:

Democratic Republic of Congo

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach to Ndolo Airport in Léopoldville, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in the district of Luozi, less than a km from the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed and all five occupants were injured.

Crash of a Douglas DC-4-1009 near Tora Tonga: 12 killed

Date & Time: May 15, 1960 at 2257 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-4

Operator:

Registration:

HB-ILA

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Geneva – Dakar – Niamey – Khartoum – Mecca

MSN:

43072

YOM:

1946

Location:

Tora Tonga

South Darfur (جنوب دارفور)

Country:

Sudan

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was completing a positioning flight from Geneva to Mecca with intermediate stop at Dakar, Niamey and Khartoum, carrying a crew of ten and two Swiss journalists. While overflying Sudan by night at an altitude of 8,000 feet, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located in the Djebel Marra. The wreckage was located few hours later. The airplane was destroyed and all 12 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the accident was the consequence of the combination of the following factors:
- The fact that the aircraft progressed actually at an average ground speed of at least 200-205 knots while the crew believed they were proceeding with no more than 175-178 knots as estimated before takeoff,
- That a slight directional difference of 2 or 3 degrees may have existed between the calculated track and the actual flight path,
- That these two navigation inaccuracies could build up during a flight of 2,5 hours and could eventually result in a position error of about 70 NM to the west and about 30 NM to the south,
- That for reasons unknown to the Board the position report given for 1906Z and apparently established on the base of an astronomical fix must have been inaccurate and that the crew were, therefore, not able to be conscious of the discrepancies between the dead-reckoning and their actual position,
- That the aircraft flying at 8000 feet hit a slope of the Djebel Marra mountains four minutes before the crew expected to be overhead the El Fasher beacon where they would have begun the climb to 12000 feet and when, in their belief the aircraft should have been still more than 60 NM away from these mountains.

Crash of a Douglas C-54A-DO Skymaster in Bunia: 35 killed

Date & Time: Apr 22, 1960 at 0755 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Operator:

Registration:

OO-SBL

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Brussels – Rome – Cairo – Bunia – Stanleyville – Elisabethville

MSN:

3099

YOM:

1943

Location:

Bunia

Orientale

Country:

Democratic Republic of Congo

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Cairo, the crew started the descent to Bunia in marginal weather conditions. In limited visibility due to low clouds, the pilot-in-command continued the approach at an insufficient altitude when the four engine aircraft struck the slope of the Bogoro Peak located about 8 km short of runway. The wreckage was found 60 meters below the summit and all 35 occupants have been killed.

Probable cause:

The accident occurred because the pilot, the captain, carried out a descent while the height of cloud base (ceiling) was below the minimum required by the Administration and the Operator.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89B Dominie in Dakar

Date & Time: Feb 26, 1960

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide

Operator:

Air Brousse

Registration:

OO-CJS

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Léopoldville – Dakar

MSN:

6429

YOM:

1938

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed on approach to Dakar Airport while on a flight from Léopoldville. All six occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Nord 2501 Noratlas near Ghardaïa: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 15, 1960

Type of aircraft:

Nord 2501 Noratlas

Operator:

Registration:

102

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Orléans – Algiers – Reggane

MSN:

102

YOM:

Location:

Ghardaïa

Country:

Algeria

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a flight from Orléans-Bricy Airbase to Reggane, southwest Algeria, on behalf of the 61st regiment of the GMMTA (Groupement des Moyens Militaires de Transport Aérien). The airplane made an intermediate stop at Algiers to pick up a passenger who should be transferred to Reggane where is based a French nuclear experimentation center. While cruising over the region of Ghardaïa, the crew encountered severe icing conditions and control was lost. The airplane crashed 12 km south of Ghardaïa and was destroyed upon impact. All six occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Icing.

Crash of a De Havilland U-1A off Benghazi: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jan 4, 1960 at 1538 LT

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DHC-3 Otter

Operator:

Registration:

55-2974

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Misrata - Benghazi

MSN:

YOM:

1954

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While overflying the Gulf of Sirte, the single engine aircraft crashed into the sea in unknown circumstances. SAR operations were conducted over a large area but no trace of the aircraft nor the 10 occupants was ever found.