Crash of a Boeing 707-369C in Bamako

Date & Time: Jun 30, 1996
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5X-JON
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Marseille – Niamey – Bamako
MSN:
20546
YOM:
1972
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While descending to Bamako-Senou Airport, the crew was informed about the poor weather conditions at destination with thunderstorm activity and strong crosswinds. As the visibility was estimated to be above 10 km, the crew decided to continue the approach. After landing on runway 06, the aircraft was caught by strong crosswinds and started to roll left and right, causing the right wing to struck the runway surface. Out of control, the aircraft veered off runway to the right and collided with a bunker. The right wing was torn off and the aircraft came to rest. All four crew members escaped uninjured.
Probable cause:
Loss of control after landing due to strong crosswinds in thunderstorm activity.

Crash of a Beechcraft 200 Super King Air near Bouaflé: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 28, 1996 at 0900 LT
Operator:
Registration:
TU-TJE
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Yamoussoukro - Yamoussoukro
MSN:
BB-163
YOM:
1976
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local training flight at Yamoussoukro Airport. Following several circuits, the crew was cleared to descend from 3,000 to 1,000 feet for a new instrument approach. In limited visibility due to foggy conditions, the aircraft descended below de MDA then struck trees and crashed in a prairie located near Bouaflé, about 40 km northwest of Yamoussoukro Airport. All three pilots were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain after the crew descended below MDA in poor visibility.

Crash of a Cessna 402C in Tunduru

Date & Time: Jun 27, 1996 at 1500 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
5H-RAZ
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
402C-0205
YOM:
1979
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
8700
Circumstances:
Upon landing, the left main gear collapsed. The aircraft slid on its belly and came to rest, bursting into flames. There were no casualties.
Probable cause:
Failure of the left main gear upon landing because a pin on the lock mechanism was broken.

Crash of an Antonov AN-26B in Cafunfo: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 24, 1996 at 1635 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
UR-26197
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Luanda - Cafunfo
MSN:
12609
YOM:
1983
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
On approach to Cafunfo Airport, following an uneventful cargo flight from Luanda, the crew encountered bad weather conditions with thunderstorm. On short final, the pilot reported a minor technical problem with the left engine and initiated a go-around procedure. Shortly later, the aircraft stalled and crashed short of runway, bursting into flames. Four crew members were killed and four others were injured.
Probable cause:
Loss of control while initiating a go-around procedure due to a stall consecutive to an insufficient speed.

Crash of a Gulfstream GII in Jos: 12 killed

Date & Time: Jun 20, 1996 at 0736 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VR-BLJ
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Kaduna - Jos
MSN:
40
YOM:
1968
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
12
Circumstances:
The crew was completing an executive flight from Kaduna to Jos, carrying four crew members and eight passengers, among them Colonel Mohammed Wase. On approach to Jos Airport, the crew encountered limited visibility due to marginal weather conditions when the aircraft collided with a telecommunication antenna and crashed, bursting into flames. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 12 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The following findings were reported:
- The antenna has been recently installed by the company Nitel in a prohibited area,
- The crew was unable to see and avoid the obstacles due to poor weather conditions,
- The aircraft was not properly aligned on the approach path due to a wrong calibration of the Jos VOR by 10°.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-76MD in Kinshasa: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jun 6, 1996
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
UR-76539
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Kinshasa - Athens
MSN:
00334 42234
YOM:
1983
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Aircraft flight hours:
2134
Aircraft flight cycles:
1358
Circumstances:
While taxiing backwards at Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport, the crew used thrust reversers and failed to extend the flaps prior to takeoff. During the takeoff roll, the pilot-in-command started the rotation when the nose gear lifted off. Despite the aircraft failed to take off, the crew did not reject the takeoff procedure and continued. The aircraft adopted a high nose up attitude and a super critical angle of attack. It rolled for about 3,800 metres, overran, rolled for another 800 metres when it struck irregularities on the ground. On impact, the right wing was torn off and the aircraft crashed, bursting into flames. All 10 occupants were killed. The aircraft was on its way to Athens, carrying a load consisting of engine and spare parts.
Probable cause:
The crew failed to prepare the flight according to published procedures and failed to extend flaps prior to takeoff. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Poor flight preparation,
- Poor crew coordination,
- Misunderstanding by the crew about the aircraft configuration,
- The pilot-in-command failed to reject takeoff.
- Crew's fatigue,
- The aircraft was not equipped with an alarm in case of wrong flaps' position.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24RV in Khartoum: 53 killed

Date & Time: May 3, 1996 at 2200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ST-FAG
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Wau - Khartoum
MSN:
27307909
YOM:
1966
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
48
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
53
Circumstances:
The aircraft was completing a charter flight from Wau to Khartoum, carrying 48 students from the Bahr al-Ghazalm University and five crew members. On approach to Khartoum-Haj Yusuf Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and limited visibility due to a sandstorm and night. Unable to establish a visual contact with the runway, the crew abandoned the approach and initiated a go-around procedure. The crew then attempted several times to approach the airport of Khartoum and all attempts were abandoned, some sources are talking about nine attempts to land. On approach by night, the captain informed ATC he was short of fuel when the aircraft struck a building under construction and crashed about 15 km from the airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 53 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The crew attempted several approaches in poor weather conditions and descended until the aircraft collided with obstacles and crashed.

Crash of a Reims Cessna F406 Caravan II in Morogoro: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 24, 1996 at 0500 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5H-TZD
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Dar es-Salaam – Morogoro – Tabora
MSN:
406-0029
YOM:
1989
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
8922
Circumstances:
The aircraft was operating a company charter flight. It took off from Dar es salaam International airport at 0418 hrs for a flight to Morogoro where it was to pick passengers destined for Tabora. The pilot was the oni y occupant. At 0419:49 hrs 5H-TZD passed to the Dar Control Tower his estimates for TMA as 0439 hrs and Morogoro 0449 hrs. At 0425:13 hrs the aircraft reported to be maintaining flight level 60 and the Dar es Salaam Approach (which was then combined with the Tower advised him to maintain FL060 and to report on checking the TMA boundary. Subsequent to this and at about the same time 5H-TZD contacted the Military base located at Ngerengere on 118.25 MHz and requested permission to transit the Military area (HT) P6 (A) UNLI/GND. Permission was not granted because the area was active. (The pilot subsequently advised Ngerengere that he was to proceed to Morogoro by flying south of the Prohibited Area. The last communication between the aircraft and Ngerengere took place at 0439 hrs when the aircraft was south of Ngerengere. At 0440.08 hrs 5H-TZD called on 118.3 MHz (the Dar es Salaam Tower frequency) advising that he was transmitting blind and revised the TMA estimate to 0441 hours FL60. The ETA for Morogoro was a1so revised to 0451 hours. He was to call on Top of Descent. At 0440:31 hrs the Dar Tower acknow1edged the transmission. Subsequent to this a sound which resembled a series ot clicks of the mike was heard in the Dar Tower. There was no further Communication between 5H-TZD and the Dar es Salaam Tower. At 0850 hrs the owner of the aircraft telephoned the Dar es salaam Control Centre to alert that 5H-TZD had not landed at Morogoro. The Dar ACC instituted an ALERT PHASE and activated the Rescue Coordination Centre. The wreckage of this aircraft was discovered by villagers on top of Palapala mountains on 5 May 1996. The search and rescue effort took 11 days because of adverse weather conditions, the thick tropical vegetation at the crash site and the fact that the route of the aircraft was not known.
Probable cause:
The accident was caused by the aircraft colliding with high ground in bad weather. The following contributing factors were reported:
- The pilot' s decision to initiate descent in weather conditions which allowed no visual contact with the terrain,
- The pilot's decision to rely on the GPS as a means of navigation into Morogoro,
- The failure of the pilot to obtain enroute and destination weather information relevant to his flight,
- The' pilot' s decision to fly the mountainous southern track instead of the northern track in adverse weather conditions,
- The pilot' s decision to continue with the flight in bad weather instead of or diverting to his alternate.
Final Report:

Crash of a Xian Yunsunji Y-7H-100 off Nouadhibou: 8 killed

Date & Time: Apr 5, 1996
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5T-MAF
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Nouadhibou - Nouakchott
MSN:
00 7H 01
YOM:
1996
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Nouadhibou Airport, while climbing, the aircraft stalled and crashed in the sea, killing all eight occupants.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the loss of control was the consequence of an engine failure.

Crash of an Antonov AN-26 in El Obeid

Date & Time: Mar 11, 1996
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
ST-FAR
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
El Obeid - Wau
MSN:
48 06
YOM:
1977
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After takeoff from El Obeid Airport, the aircraft stalled and crashed by the runway, bursting into flames. All 16 occupants were rescued and the aircraft was destroyed by fire. It was en route to Wau, carrying foods.