Crash of a Cessna 208 Caravan I in N'Gaoundéré: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 10, 2013 at 1000 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
TT-BAU
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Moundou - Douala
MSN:
208-0045
YOM:
1985
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft departed Moundou (Chad) on a flight to Douala, Cameroon, carrying three passengers and two pilots on behalf of CotonTchad, the Chadian National Coton Company (Société Cotonnière du Tchad). En route, the crew informed ATC about engine problems and elected to divert to N'Gaoundéré Airport. On final approach, the aircraft stalled and crashed in a marshy field located near the airport. All five occupants were injured, both crew seriously. Few hours later, the captain died from his injuries. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Engine trouble for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Boeing 737-8AL near Douala: 114 killed

Date & Time: May 5, 2007 at 0008 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5Y-KYA
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Abidjan – Douala – Nairobi
MSN:
35069/2079
YOM:
2006
Flight number:
KQ507
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
108
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
114
Captain / Total flying hours:
8682
Copilot / Total flying hours:
831
Aircraft flight hours:
2100
Aircraft flight cycles:
734
Circumstances:
During the night of 4th May 2007, the B737-800, registration 5Y-KYA, operating as flight KQ507 from Abidjan international Airport, Ivory Coast, to the Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi (Kenya), made a scheduled stop-over at the Douala international Airport. The weather was stormy. The aircraft took off and climbed into the dark night. There were no external visual references, yet no instrument scanning was done by the crew. At 1000 feet climbing, the pilot flying released the flight controls for 55 seconds without having engaged the autopilot. The bank angle of the airplane increased continuously by itself very slowly up to 34° right and the captain appeared unaware of the airplane’s changing attitude. Just before the "Bank Angle" warning sounds, the captain grabbed the controls, appeared confused about the attitude of the airplane, and made corrections in an erratic manner increasing the bank angle to 50° right. At about 50° bank angle, the autopilot was engaged and the inclination tended to stabilize; then movements of the flight controls by the pilot resumed and the bank angle increased towards 70° right. A prolonged right rudder input brought the bank angle to beyond 90°. The aircraft descended in a spiral dive until it crashed at approximately 0008LT (May 5) in a mangrove swamp located 5,5 km southeast of Douala Airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 114 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The airplane crashed after loss of control by the crew as a result of spatial disorientation (non recognized or subtle type transitioning to recognized spatial disorientation), after a long slow roll, during which no instrument scanning was done, and in the absence of external visual references in a dark night. Inadequate operational control, lack of crew coordination, coupled with the non-adherence to procedures of flight monitoring, confusion in the utilization of the AP, have also contributed to cause this situation.
Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 707-347C in Addis Ababa

Date & Time: Jun 19, 2005 at 0342 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C5-MBM
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Douala - Addis Ababa
MSN:
19966
YOM:
1968
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following a night approach to Addis Ababa-Bole Airport, the aircraft landed hard and bounced several times. It lost its undercarriage, slid for few dozen metres then veered off runway to the left and came to rest. All five crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of an Embraer EMB-110P1 Bandeirante in Douala

Date & Time: Oct 1, 2004
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-OWO
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Douala - Yaoundé
MSN:
110-311
YOM:
1981
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll, the left engine failed. Control was lost and the aircraft veered off runway and came to rest. All four occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Failure of the left engine for unknown reasons.

Crash of an Antonov AN-26B in Ndjolé: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 17, 2003
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ER-AFT
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Brazzaville - Douala
MSN:
134 03
YOM:
1984
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Brazzaville on a delivery flight to Douala. While cruising by night over Gabon, the crew informed ATC about technical problems, declared an emergency and elected to divert to the nearest airport which was Ndjolé. This airfield was not equipped with any runway or approach lights nor any navigation aids. The crew completed several circuits over the city then people parked their cars along the airstrip so the crew was able to land. After four unsuccessful attempts, the crew tried to land but the aircraft flew over the runway without landing, passed over the Ogooué River and eventually crashed in a wooded and swampy area. The crew of two helicopters from the Gabonese Air Force found the wreckage the following day. The aircraft was destroyed and all seven occupants were killed. Until few days prior to the accident, the aircraft was operated by Pont Aviation which bankrupted, so it was transferred to another operator in Cameroon.
Probable cause:
It is believe that the crew was forced to make an emergency landing following a general failure of the navigation instruments in flight.

Crash of a Piper PA-31-T1040 Cheyenne III in Kousséri: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 14, 2001 at 2300 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
TJ-AIQ
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Douala – N’Djamena
MSN:
31-8275025
YOM:
1982
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Douala on a charter flight to N'Djamena, carrying one pilot, one steward and two members of the Chadian Government. While approaching N'Djamena Airport, weather conditions deteriorated and the visibility was limited due to a sand storm. Probably to establish a visual contact with the ground, the pilot reduced his altitude when the aircraft struck a tree and crashed about 3 km from the runway 05 threshold, near Kousséri, Cameroon. The steward was seriously injured while all three other occupants were killed, among them the pilot, a Spanish citizen and both passengers who were Amderamane Dadi, General Secretary of the Presidency, and Ali Ahmed Lanine, Chadian Minister for Economic Promotion and Development.

Crash of a Boeing 747-2H7B in Paris

Date & Time: Nov 5, 2000 at 2157 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
TJ-CAB
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Douala - Paris
MSN:
22378
YOM:
1981
Flight number:
UY070
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
16
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
187
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
20250
Captain / Total hours on type:
12000.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
14188
Copilot / Total hours on type:
9767
Aircraft flight hours:
48770
Aircraft flight cycles:
12872
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Douala, the crew started the descent to Paris-Roissy-CDG Airport by night and poor weather conditions. After touchdown on the wet runway 09R, the crew started the braking procedure when the aircraft went out of control, veered to the right off runway, crossed a grassy area, lost its nose gear and came to rest between both taxiways Z6 and Z7. All 203 occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft christened 'Mount Cameroon' was damaged beyond repair due to severe damages in the electronic bay because the nose landing gear penetrated the fuselage.
Probable cause:
The initial cause of the accident was the incomplete reduction of thrust on the left outer engine at the beginning of deceleration. This caused the de-activation of the automatic braking system and the non-extension of the n°1 thrust reverser. The inadvertent selection of full thrust on this engine after the landing created a high thrust asymmetry leading to the runway excursion. The lack of coordination and of joint control by the crew members, perhaps aggravated by the presence of third parties in the cockpit, contributed to the development of this situation.
Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 737-242C in Douala

Date & Time: Aug 3, 1997 at 1748 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
TU-TAV
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Douala – Bangui – N’Djamena
MSN:
19848
YOM:
1969
Flight number:
RK816
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
106
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll on runway 23 at Douala Airport, at a speed of 110 knots, the crew noted a loud bang and decided to abort. The crew initiated an emergency braking procedure but the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran, lost its undercarriage and both engines before coming to rest 130 metres further, bursting into flames. All 114 occupants were evacuated, among them 20 were slightly injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Rejected takeoff after a tyre burst on the left main gear.

Crash of a Boeing 737-2K9 in Douala: 71 killed

Date & Time: Dec 3, 1995 at 2244 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
TJ-CBE
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Cotonou – Douala
MSN:
23386
YOM:
1985
Flight number:
UY3701
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
71
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
71
Captain / Total flying hours:
7990
Captain / Total hours on type:
5923.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
5850
Copilot / Total hours on type:
4317
Aircraft flight hours:
18746
Aircraft flight cycles:
23233
Circumstances:
While on a night approach to Douala Airport, at a distance of 3,5 NM, the crew was cleared to land on runway 30. At this time, the aircraft initiated a slight climb and about 15 seconds later, the copilot informed ATC about technical problems. Three seconds later, the aircraft rolled to the left, struck trees and crashed in a mangrove located about 1,700 metres south of runway 30, bursting into flames. Three passengers and two crew members (the copilot and a stewardess) were seriously injured while 71 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident resulted from a loss of control of the aircraft during an attempted go-around made during the touchdown maneuver on landing, with degraded performance.
The following factors contributed to the accident:
- The detachment by structural fatigue of a blade from the first stage of the compressor on engine n°1 which led to a loss of power, and
- A destabilization of the trajectory during landing and the late or slow execution of the go-around procedure in an unidentified single-engine configuration which resulted in an irreversible loss of speed.
Final Report:

Crash of an Avro 748-2B-435 in Yaoundé: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 28, 1989 at 2119 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
TJ-CCF
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Douala – Yaoundé
MSN:
1804
YOM:
1985
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
42
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Douala, the crew started the approach to Yaoundé-Nsimalen Airport by night and poor weather conditions. On final, due to poor visibility, the crew was unable to locate the runway and decided to initiate a go-around. During the next hour, the crew attempted four times to land, without success. Eventually, the captain elected to land in difficult conditions. On final, the aircraft was too high and landed too far down a wet runway, about 400 meters before the runway end. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran and crashed in a ditch. Both pilots and a passenger were killed.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration on part of the crew. Lack of visibility and wet runway surface (poor braking action) were considered as contributing factors.