Africa | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The approach to Kahemba was completed in heavy rain falls when the wipers failed. The airplane went out of control and crashed few km from the airfield. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

Probable cause:

Failure of the wipers during heavy rain falls.

Crash of an Avro 694 Lincoln B.2 on Mt Kinangop: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 22, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Avro 694 Lincoln

Operator:

Registration:

RE297

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Nairobi - Nairobi

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful night training flight, the crew was returning to his base at Nairobi-Eastleigh Airport when the airplane crashed on Mt Kinangop (3,906 meters high) located 75 km north of Nairobi. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all five crew members were killed. At the time of the accident, the crew was flying under IFR rules but below the minimum safe altitude for unknown reason.
Crew (61st Squadron):
F/Lt Michael Weight, pilot,
M/Eng William Joseph Beesley, flight engineer,
F/O Michael William Humphrey Owen, navigator,
F/O Robert Joseph Robinson, navigator,
Sgt James Keith Atkinson, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.104 Dove 1B in Mambone

Date & Time: Mar 21, 1954

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.104 Dove

Operator:

Registration:

CR-ACJ

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Mambone – Maputo

MSN:

04148

YOM:

1948

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

In unknown circumstances, the twin engine aircraft overran during takeoff, lost its undercarriage and came to rest. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Breda-Zappata B.Z.308 in Mogadishu

Date & Time: Feb 21, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Breda-Zappata B.Z.308

Operator:

Registration:

MM61802

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Rome – Mogadiscio

MSN:

YOM:

1948

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After landing, the four engine aircraft collided with a cement truck and came to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was stored at Mogadishu Airport, not repaired and later scrapped. It was registered MM61802 (SM-5) and previously I-BREZ under civil registry.

Probable cause:

Collision with a ground vehicle after landing.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52 near Zaghouan: 15 killed

Date & Time: Feb 18, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Registration:

4.S.5

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Oran – Bizerte

MSN:

1015

Location:

Zaghouan

Zaghouan Governorate (ولاية زغوان‎)

Country:

Tunisia

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While flying by night at an altitude of 3,600 feet, the three engine aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located about 10 km north of Zaghouan while on a flight from Oran to Bizerte. All 15 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Mr. Even, pilot,
Michel Hauss, pilot,
Mr. Bertin, flight engineer,
Mr. Lelionnais, radio operator.
Passengers:
Maurice Rouyer,
Raymond Le Saulnier,
Bernard Le Mancq,
Pierre Le Boulicaut,
Robert Gaudel,
Joseph Diler,
Ygnacio De Labaca,
René Automarchi,
Guy André 2.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

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

Date & Time: Jan 24, 1954

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide

Operator:

Registration:

VP-KEA

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Butiaba – Entebbe

MSN:

6890

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

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.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the mishap remains unclear.

Crash of a Douglas A-26C-25-DT Invader near El Jadida: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 14, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-26 Invader

Operator:

Registration:

43-22590

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Sidi Slimane - Sidi Slimane

MSN:

18737

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

4200

Circumstances:

The crew left Sidi Slimane AFB at 1826LT for a 2,5 hours training flight with two other similar aircraft. After departure, the captain completed the level off at an altitude of 2,000 feet and proceeded to the southwest. Later, while cruising at an altitude of 1,000 feet, the crew completed several maneuvers and circuits then started his way back to Sidi Slimane AFB via Azemmour. Suddenly, the right engine failed. The captain increased power on the left engine that failed shortly later. He attempted to make an emergency landing in a field located near Cap Blanc, about 15 km southwest of El Jadida. After a night descent of 300 feet per minute with its landing gear down, the airplane landed at a speed of 130 knots in a field. After a course of dozen yards, it collided with a rocky wall, lost its both engines and came to rest. First rescuers arrived on site at 0200LT on January 15. Two crew members were killed while two others were seriously injured.
Crew (based at Laon-Couvron AFB, France):
Col John Crocker, pilot, †
Cpt Gene Robert, copilot,
1st Lt Gordon Stewart, navigator, †
S/Sgt Theo McCool, gunner.

Probable cause:

The cause of the failure of the right engine could not be determined with certainty. However, it is believed that the failure of the left engine was the result of a mistake on part of the pilot-in-command while trying to complete an emergency maneuver.