Benguela | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Upon touchdown at Benguela-General Deslandes Airport, the nose gear collapsed. The airplane slid on its nose for few dozen metres before coming to rest. All five occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Casa 212 Aviocar 200 in Catumbela: 48 killed

Date & Time: Jun 17, 1995

Type of aircraft:

Casa 212 Aviocar

Operator:

Registration:

T-401

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Ondjiva - Catumbela

MSN:

326

YOM:

1985

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was completing a charter flight from Ondjiva to Catumbela on behalf of the Angolan Company Maboque, and was carrying some of their employees as well as football players. While descending to Catumbela Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions when the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located 15 km from Catumbela Airport. Five passengers were seriously injured while 48 other occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain after the crew initiated the descent prematurely in limited visibility due to poor weather conditions.

Crash of a Basler BT-67 in Lobito: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1994 at 0715 LT

Type of aircraft:

Basler BT-67

Operator:

SL Aviation Services

Registration:

N96BF

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Humanitarian

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Lobito - Luanda

MSN:

13321

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was engaged in a humanitarian flight from Lobito to Luanda on behalf of the International Committee of the Red Cross, carrying two pilots and a load of 4,6 tons of green beans. After takeoff, while climbing to a height of about 50 feet, the aircraft stalled and crashed by the runway. The aircraft was destroyed and both pilots were killed.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty but it is believed that the loss of control that occurred during initial climb was the consequence of an unexpected shift of the cargo.

Crash of a Boeing 737-2M2C in Benguela

Date & Time: Nov 5, 1980

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 737-200

Operator:

Registration:

D2-TAA

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Luanda - Benguela

MSN:

21172

YOM:

1975

Flight number:

DT444

Location:

Benguela

Country:

Angola

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

128

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach to Benguela Airport, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low. On short final, the airplane struck the ground 4 meters short of runway threshold. On impact, the undercarriage were torn off. The airplane slid for about 900 meters then turn slightly to the right, lost its left engine and right wing before coming to rest in flames. All 134 occupants were evacuated, among them 34 were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Lack of VASIs and threshold markings caused the pilot's inability to follow the correct approach slope.

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 200 off Lobito: 22 killed

Date & Time: May 21, 1972

Type of aircraft:

Fokker F27 Friendship

Operator:

Registration:

CR-LLD

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Luanda – Lobito – Lubango

MSN:

10439

YOM:

1970

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

3828

Aircraft flight cycles:

3224

Circumstances:

On final approach in low visibility due to poor weather conditions, the airplane descended too low and crashed into the sea 3 km offshore. Two passengers and a crew member were rescued while 22 other occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was below minima and the crew continued the approach until the airplane contacted water and crashed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK near Bocoio: 12 killed

Date & Time: Jul 18, 1950

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

CR-LBK

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Nova Lisboa – Lobito

MSN:

13769

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While starting its descent to Lobito, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located in the Bulobulo Mountain Range, about 19 km south of Bocoio. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all 12 occupants were killed.