Africa

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Port Gentil - Libreville

MSN:

75 04

YOM:

1978

Flight number:

SLN122A

Location:

Libreville

Estuaire (Libreville)

Country:

Gabon

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew departed Port Gentil on a cargo flight to Libreville on behalf of DHL Airways. On approach to Libreville-Léon Mba Airport, the captain informed ATC about hydraulic problems and initiated a go-around procedure. Shortly later, the aircraft stalled and crashed in the sea some 2,3 km southeast of the airport. All four occupants were rescued while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. Due to the failure of the hydraulic system, the crew was unable to lower the gear.

Crash of a Beechcraft C90 King Air in Kaduna: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 24, 2011 at 1154 LT

Type of aircraft:

Beechcraft 90 King Air

Operator:

Registration:

N364UZ

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Site:

Canadair RegionalJet CRJ-100

Schedule:

Old Kaduna - Old Kaduna

MSN:

LJ-805

YOM:

1979

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

9665

Circumstances:

On 24th May, 2011 at 11:54 h, a Beechcraft C90 aircraft with nationality and registration marks N364UZ, operated by Shoreline Energy International Limited (SEIL), departed Old Kaduna (Military) airport on a test flight with a pilot and another person onboard with three hours fuel endurance. The test flight was on a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan. According to an eye witness, the aircraft sound was unusual and the aircraft seemed not to be gaining altitude after takeoff. Another eye witness (a local farmer), stated that he saw the aircraft moving up and down with increasing and decreasing engine sound. Thereafter, the aircraft impacted a mango tree, turned and crashed. The local farmer further stated that he and some military personnel tried all they could to rescue the occupants inside the aircraft but their efforts were not successful. At 11:59 h, the aircraft crashed on a farm-land 878 meters short of RWY 23 (military) and engulfed into flames. The two occupants were fatally injured. Dornier Aviation Nigeria AIEP (DANA) and Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fire-fighting personnel were dispatched immediately. There was no direct access between the runway and the accident site, which delayed the fire trucks from reaching the aircraft at accident site on time. The accident occurred in day light, in visual meteorological conditions (VMC).

Probable cause:

Causal Factor:
Inability of the pilot to control the aircraft to landing due to inadequate power to enable the pilot maintain the appropriate approach profile (height, speed and glide path) to cover the required distance to threshold.
Contributory factors:
1. Non-adherence to approved storage procedure.
2. Non-adherence to approved return from storage procedure.
3. Inadequate regulatory oversight by the authority on flight operation and maintenance of foreign registered aircraft in Nigeria.

Final Report:

Crash of a Canadair RegionalJet CRJ-100ER in Kinshasa: 32 killed

Date & Time: Apr 4, 2011 at 1356 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

4L-GAE

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Humanitarian

Survivors:

Site:

Democratic Republic of Congo

Schedule:

Kisangani – Kinshasa

MSN:

7070

YOM:

1995

Flight number:

UNO834

Location:

Kinshasa-N'Djili

Kinshasa City Province

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

2811

Captain / Total hours on type:

1622.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

495

Copilot / Total hours on type:

344

Circumstances:

On final approach to Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport, the crew encountered very poor weather conditions and decided to make a go around. After a climb process of 12 seconds, the aircraft nosed down and at a speed of 180 knots, hit the ground 170 meters to the left of the displaced threshold of runway 24. The aircraft slid for 400 meters before coming to rest in flames upside down. Three passengers were seriously injured and evacuated but of them died from their injuries few hours later. Finally, only one passenger survived the accident. Aircraft was performing a special flight from Kisangani to Kinshasa on behalf of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). The only survivor reported that the aircraft suddenly plunged into the earth while on final approach. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were marginal with storm activity, heavy rain showers, scattered at 2,200 feet and cumulonimbus at 1,500 feet.

Probable cause:

Weather in Kinshasa was bad at the time of the accident, ATC failed to inform the crew about the degradation of the weather conditions and the runway in use was not closed to traffic while the visibility was below the minima. Despite this situation, the crew took the decision to continue the approach procedure while the aircraft was unstable and the approach speed was too high (180 knots). It is reported that the following factors contributed to the accident:
- the crew ignored the published approach procedures,
- improper crew resources management during the execution of the flight,
- during the go around process, the crew encountered adverse weather conditions with vertical wind gusts, downdrafts and a 'magenta' effect. This caused the aircraft to adopt nose down attitude while it was in the final stage of the flight, preventing the pilot to take over the control,
- the pilot training program was inadequate and did not include a proportionate number of flight in the simulator,
- the authority for civil aviation of Georgia has probably approved a small training program for upgrading the captain to his position,
- lack of oversight of the operator by the Georgian Civil Aviation Authority.
In conclusion, investigators believe that the most probable cause of the accident is the fact that the plane encountered a very dangerous meteorological phenomena similar to a microburst, to a very low level during the overshoot process. The dangerous vertical downdraft and gust caused a sudden and remarkable change in the attitude of the aircraft and a substantial loss of altitude. Flying at very low altitude, recovery of such disturbance was not possible.

Final Report:

Crash of an Antonov AN-12BP in Pointe-Noire: 23 killed

Date & Time: Mar 21, 2011 at 1530 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-12

Operator:

Registration:

TN-AGK

Flight Phase:

Pointe-Noire City District

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Brazzaville - Pointe-Noire

MSN:

40 20 06

YOM:

1963

Location:

Pointe-Noire

Country:

Congo

Region:

Democratic Republic of Congo

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The four engine airplane departed Brazzaville-Maya Maya Airport on a cargo service to Pointe-Noire, carrying five passengers, four crew members and a load of 750 kilos of meat. On final approach to Pointe-Noire Airport runway 17, the aircraft rolled to the right, got inverted and crashed in the residential area of Mvoumvou located 4 kilometers short of runway. The aircraft was totally destroyed as well as several houses. All nine occupants and 14 people on the ground were killed.

Probable cause:

It is believed that the loss of control on final approach was the consequence of the failure of both right engines n°3 and 4.

Crash of a Let L-410UVP near Bukavu: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 14, 2011 at 1615 LT

Type of aircraft:

Let L-410

Operator:

African Air Services

Registration:

9Q-CIF

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Bukavu – Lusenge

MSN:

83 09 22

YOM:

1983

Location:

Bukavu

Sud-Kivu

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Eight minutes after takeoff from Bukavu-Kavumu Airport, while climbing, the twin engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances on the slope of Mt Biega, some 25 km north of Bukavu. The aircraft was destroyed and both pilots were killed. They were completing a cargo flight to Lusenge.

Crash of a Pilatus PC-12/47 off Plettenberg Bay: 9 killed

Date & Time: Feb 8, 2011 at 1633 LT

Type of aircraft:

Pilatus PC-12

Operator:

Majuba Aviation

Registration:

ZS-GAA

Flight Phase:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Queenstown - Plettenberg Bay

MSN:

858

YOM:

2007

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

2662

Captain / Total hours on type:

582.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

351

Copilot / Total hours on type:

112

Aircraft flight hours:

1096

Circumstances:

The aircraft, which was operated under the provisions of Part 91 of the Civil Aviation Regulations (CARs), departed from Queenstown Aerodrome (FAQT) at 1329Z on an instrument flight plan for Plettenberg Bay Aerodrome (FAPG). On board the aircraft were two (2) crew members and seven (7) passengers. The estimated time of arrival for the aircraft to land at FAPG was 1430Z, however the aircraft never arrived at its intended destination, nor did the crew cancel their search and rescue as per flight plan/air navigation requirements. At ±1600Z an official search for the missing aircraft commenced. The search was coordinated by the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre (ARCC). The first phase of the search, which was land based, was conducted in the Robberg Nature Reserve area. Progress was slow due to poor visibility associated with dense mist and night time. A sea search was not possible following activation of the official search during the late afternoon and night time, but vessels from the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) were able to launch at first light the next morning. Floating debris (light weight material) was picked up from the sea and along the western shoreline of the Robberg Nature Reserve where foot patrols were conducted. On 11 February 2011 the South African Navy joined the search for the missing wreckage by utilizing side scan sonar equipment to scan the sea bed for the wreckage. All the occupants on board the aircraft were fatally injured in the accident.

Probable cause:

The aircraft crashed into the sea following a possible in flight upset associated with a loss of control during IMC conditions.
The following contributory factors were identified:
- Deviation from standard operating procedures by the crew not flying the published cloud-break procedure for runway 30 at FAPG, but instead opted to attempt to remain visual with the ground/sea (comply with VMC requirements) by descending over the sea and approaching the aerodrome from the southeast (Robberg Nature Reserve side).
- Inclement weather conditions prevailed in the area, which was below the minima to comply with the approved cloud-break procedure for runway 30 at FAPG (minimum safety altitude of 844 feet according to cloud-break procedure) as published at the time of the accident.
- Judgement and decision making lacking by the crew. (The crew continued from the seaward side with the approach during IMC conditions and not diverting to an alternative aerodrome with proper approach facilities timeously although a cell phone call in this regard indicate such an intention).
- The possibility that the pilot-flying at the time became spatially disorientated during the right turn while encountering / entering IMC conditions in an attempt to divert to FAGG should be regarded as a significant contributory factor to this accident.
- This was the first time as far as it could be determined that the two crew members flew together.

Final Report:

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 500CRF in Nairobi

Date & Time: Jan 27, 2011 at 1335 LT

Type of aircraft:

Fokker F27 Friendship

Operator:

Registration:

5X-FFD

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Nairobi - Nairobi

MSN:

10530

YOM:

1976

Location:

Nairobi-Wilson

Nairobi City District

Country:

Kenya

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The twin engine aircraft was engaged in a local post maintenance test flight from Nairobi-Wilson Airport. The crew consisted of two pilots and two engineers. During the takeoff roll from runway 07, the captain decided to abort. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran, went through a fence, lost its nose gear and came to rest in a field. All four occupants escaped with minor injuries while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Ground accident of a Boeing 737-2T5 at Hoedspruit AFB

Date & Time: Jan 10, 2011 at 2050 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 737-200

Operator:

Registration:

ZS-SGX

Flight Phase:

Taxiing

Flight Type:

Ferry

Survivors:

Site: