Crash of a Dornier DO228-100 near Dakhla: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 24, 1985 at 1730 LT
Type of aircraft:
Dornier DO228
Operator:
Registration:
D-IGVN
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Ferry
Survivors:
No
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Dakar - Lanzarote
MSN:
7039
YOM:
1984
Flight number:
Polar 3
Location:
Dakhla
Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira
Country:
Western Sahara
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was returning to Germany following an expedition in the South Pole (Antarctica). The aircraft departed Dakar on a leg to Lanzarote, and was following another Dornier DO228 from the same Alfred Wegener Institute christened Polar 2 that was flying higher than Polar 3. En route, the aircraft was shot down by a surface-to-air missile and crashed in a desert area located south of Dakhla. All three crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a surface-to-air missile from the Front Polisario.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24B in Tombouctou: 51 killed

Date & Time: Feb 22, 1985
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-24
Operator:
Registration:
TZ-ACT
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Gao – Tombouctou – Mopti – Bamako
MSN:
87304104
YOM:
1978
Location:
Tombouctou
Tombouctou
Country:
Mali
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
46
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
51
Circumstances:
Two minutes after takeoff from Tombouctou Airport, while climbing, one of the engine failed. The pilot-in-command elected to return for an emergency landing and initiated a turn when the aircraft stalled and crashed in a field located 3 km from the airport, bursting into flames. A passenger was seriously injured while 51 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Engine failure during initial climb for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Cessna 404 Titan in Lanseria: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 24, 1985
Type of aircraft:
Cessna 404 Titan
Operator:
Southern Cross Aviation
Registration:
N302SP
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
404-0840
YOM:
1981
Location:
Lanseria
Gauteng
Country:
South Africa
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Lanseria Airport, while climbing, the pilot reported engine problems and elected to return. Shortly later, the aircraft went out of control and crashed few km from the airfield. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 in Karege: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1984 at 1851 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter
Operator:
Registration:
5H-MRD
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Dar es Salaam - Dar es Salaam
MSN:
581
YOM:
1978
Location:
Karege
Pwani Region
Country:
Tanzania
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total flying hours:
5295
Captain / Total hours on type:
446.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
296
Copilot / Total hours on type:
16
Circumstances:
The crew (one instructor and two pilots) departed Dar es Salaam Intl Airport on a local training flight. In the early evening, while returning to the airport, the twin engine airplane went out of control, entered a dive and crashed in a wooded area, bursting into flames. The wreckage was found near Karege, about 35 km northwest of Dar es Salaam Airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all three crew members were killed. The instructor totalized 5,295 flying hours with 446 on type. Both other pilots totalized 300 flying hours with 20 on type and 296 flying hours with 16 on type.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, it was reported that the loss of control occurred when the power lever of the left engine was in idle position while the reverser on the left engine was activated at the same time. Thus, investigators does not rule out the assumption that the pilot attempted to commit suicide. Also, the assumption that the crew lost control of the airplane following a sudden and violent fire on the right engine was also not ruled out.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-15-Dk in Tangier

Date & Time: Nov 11, 1984
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Stellair
Registration:
F-BYCU
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
12720
YOM:
1944
Location:
Tangier
Tangier-Tétouan
Country:
Morocco
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While on a cargo flight, the crew got lost after he encountered a sandstorm. When both engines failed due to fuel exhaustion, the crew was forced to make an emergency landing. There were no casualties while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2T Islander in Tete

Date & Time: Nov 3, 1984
Type of aircraft:
Britten-Norman Islander
Operator:
Registration:
C9-TAI
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Zumbo - Tete
MSN:
2122
YOM:
1982
Location:
Tete
Tete
Country:
Mozambique
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach to Tete Airport, the twin engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances few hundred meters short of runway threshold. All eight occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Handley Page HPR.7 Dart Herald 202 in Kandala: 30 killed

Date & Time: Sep 11, 1984
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page HPR-7 Dart Herald
Operator:
MMM Aero Services
Registration:
9Q-CAH
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Kinshasa – Tshikapa
MSN:
159
YOM:
1962
Location:
Kandala
Bandundu
Country:
Democratic Republic of Congo
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
31
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
30
Circumstances:
En route from Kinshasa to Tshikapa, one of the engine failed. The crew decided to divert to Kandala Airstrip, southeast of Bandundu province. After landing on a small airfield, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and crashed in flames. Six passengers were injured while 30 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight for unknown reasons.

Ground fire of a Fairchild F27 at Omega AFB

Date & Time: Sep 7, 1984
Type of aircraft:
Fairchild F27
Operator:
Wonderair
Registration:
ZS-LPI
Flight Phase:
Taxiing
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Omega AFB - Omega AFB
MSN:
58
YOM:
1959
Location:
Omega AFB
Kavango Region
Country:
Namibia
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While taxiing at Omega AFB, the aircraft caught fire for unknown reasons. The crew was able to stop the airplane and to evacuate before it would be totally destroyed by fire.
Probable cause:
Ground fire of unknown origin.
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