Douala | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

While taxiing at Douala Airport, an explosion occurred on the left hand side. The crew stopped the aircraft on the taxiway and started an emergency evacuation. 94 occupants were wounded while 20 others were uninjured. Unfortunately, two passengers died by asphyxia.

Probable cause:

It was reported by the Cameroon Authorities that a bomb placed in the left main wheel well exploded during taxi, causing a rupture of the main left fuel tank. A fire erupted, partially destroying the aircraft. It appears that the bomb was placed by members of the 'Liberation Front of Cameroon'.

Crash of a Dornier DO.128-6MPA Turbo Skyservant in Douala

Date & Time: Jan 27, 1983

Type of aircraft:

Dornier DO.128 Skyservant

Operator:

Cameroon Air Force - Armée de l'Air du Cameroun

Registration:

TJX-BO

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

6002

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances. There were no casualties.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 in Bafoussam: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 31, 1981

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter

Operator:

Registration:

TJ-CBC

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Bafoussam – Douala

MSN:

416

YOM:

1974

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After takeoff from Bafoussam-Bamougoum Airport, the twin engine airplane encountered difficulties to gain height. It stalled and crash landed, overran and came to rest 43 meters past the runway end. A passenger was killed while all other occupants were injured.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the aircraft was overloaded at the time of the accident. It was also reported that the crew failed to prepare the flight according to procedures and failed to follow the pre-takeoff checklist.

Crash of a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain in Douala: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 24, 1980

Type of aircraft:

Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain

Operator:

Air Affaires Afrique

Registration:

TJ-AFO

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Executive/Corporate/Business

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Douala - Yaoundé

MSN:

31-7752109

YOM:

1977

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After liftoff, the twin engine airplane stalled and crashed by the runway. The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It is believed that the accident was the consequence of an engine failure just after rotation.

Crash of a Boeing 707-329C in Douala

Date & Time: May 11, 1980

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 707

Operator:

Zaïre International Cargo Air System - ZICAS

Registration:

OO-SJH

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Paris - Douala

MSN:

18890/416

YOM:

1965

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful cargo flight from Paris-Orly Airport, the crew started the descent to Douala Airport in marginal weather conditions. On short final, the airplane encountered low level windshear. Control was lost and the aircraft banked left, causing the left wing to struck the runway surface. Upon impact, the left main gear was torn off as well as both engines n°1 and 2. The aircraft veered off runway to the left, made a 270° turn then came to rest. All three crew members escaped with minor injuries while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair, the left wing being partially torn off.

Probable cause:

Loss of control on short final due to windshear.

Crash of a Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation near Douala: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 9, 1969

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation

Operator:

Catair

Registration:

F-BGNC

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

4512

YOM:

1953

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was cleared to start an ILS semi-direct approach to Douala Airport when contact was lost. The wreckage was found three days later in a prairie located 80 km northeast of Douala. The aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances, killing all four crew members who were completing a cargo flight.

Crash of a Douglas R4D-1 near Yaoundé: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 20, 1966

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Central African Air Force - Escadrille Centrafricaine

Registration:

TL-KAA

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Douala – Yaoundé

MSN:

9124

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances while descending to Yaoundé Airport, killing all three crew members.

Crash of a Beechcraft C-45H Expeditor on Mt Cameroon: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 21, 1964

Type of aircraft:

Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor

Operator:

Registration:

9Q-CXA

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Delivery

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Monrovia – Douala

MSN:

AF-778

YOM:

1954

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The pilot was completing a flight from the US to Zaïre with intermediate stops in Prestwick, Monrovia and Douala, and was supposed to deliver the airplane to Air Congo. While approaching Douala Airport, seven minutes before the ETA, the twin engine aircraft struck the slope of Mt Cameroon located 64 km west of the airport. As the airplane failed to arrive at Douala Airport, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the airplane was found. The wreckage was found two years later in an isolated area. The pilot Lord Malcolm A. Douglas-Hume was accompanied with his son and wife. All three were killed in the accident.

Crash of a Douglas DC-6B on Mt Cameroon: 55 killed

Date & Time: May 3, 1963 at 1427 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-6

Operator:

Registration:

F-BIAO

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Douala – Lagos

MSN:

45479

YOM:

1958

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total hours on type:

6561.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

4811

Copilot / Total hours on type:

3435

Circumstances:

The four engine aircraft departed Douala Airport at 1416LT bound for Lagos. While climbing to an altitude of 6,500 feet, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Cameroon located 63 km northwest of Douala Airport. The wreckage was located few hours later 800 meters below the summit. Two passengers were seriously injured while 53 other occupants were killed. Three days after the crash, on May 6, one of the survivor died from his injuries and on May 9, the second survivor died as well.

Probable cause:

The accident was caused by a lack of caution on the part of the pilot-in-command who deliberately selected a route which led the aircraft into a dangerous and even prohibited sector at too low an altitude. Also, he neglected his navigation and transferred to instrument flight when approaching the mountain range.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-7C in Douala: 111 killed

Date & Time: Mar 4, 1962 at 1921 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-7

Operator:

Registration:

G-ARUD

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Lourenço Marques – Douala – Lisbon – Luxembourg

MSN:

45160

YOM:

1957

Flight number:

CA123

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

101

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

111

Captain / Total flying hours:

11587

Captain / Total hours on type:

287.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

10249

Copilot / Total hours on type:

227

Circumstances:

The aircraft lined up on runway 12 and took at 1820 GMT (night takeoff evening twilight ended at 1756 hours). According to the controller on duty at the control tower the aircraft's landing lights were not on during the take-off. The aircraft lifted off runway 12 after what appeared to be an unusually long run of approximately 2,300 meters (of 2,850 meters available) after release of the brakes and gained height with difficulty. The anti-collision light was seen at a low altitude and the disappeared behind the trees. Five seconds later the sky was lit up by a fire. The left wing and left side of the fuselage struck the first trees of the forest at a height of about 22 meters above the elevation and about 2,300 meters beyond the threshold of runway 30. After the initial impact in a near level flight attitude and with the aircraft slightly banked to port, it then went progressively into a dive with the left wing low and sheared the tops of the trees over a traversed distance of about 130 meters before final impact with the water of a creek. The attitude of the aircraft on final impact was approximately 25° nose down with the same angle of left bank. The aircraft exploded on impact. The fuel and oil spread over the surface of the water and ignited. The fire destroyed the submerged parts of the wreckage. All 111 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

In spite of the very numerous expert examinations and all the tests on the ground and in flight which the Commission of Inquiry has carried out or caused to be carried out, the state of the wreckage and its position in an inundated forest area have prevented the Commission from determining with absolute certainty the cause of the accident to DC-7C G-ARUD. The commission considers, however, that there is evidence to show that an elevator spring-tab mechanism may have jammed before impact. This jamming would have resulted in abnormal elevator control forces during the takeoff. Flight tests have shown this to be consistent with a prolonged takeoff run and a risk of losing height during flap retraction. Furthermore, the following features, all adverse, may have aggravated the circumstances in which the accident occurred: - the implementation of a procedure for gaining speed which was conducive to the aircraft being flown at a low altitude - the fact that a positive rate of climb was not maintained at the time of flap retraction which, in the SABENA procedure applied by Caledonian Airways, is not subject to any altitude limitation other than that of obstacle clearance - the presence in the co-pilot's seat of a check pilot whose attention may have been attracted more by the actions of the first pilot than by the indications on his own instrument panel. The Commission had been unable to eliminate an instrument failure as a possible cause of the accident, as the instruments were not recovered or were too seriously damaged to allow of any valid expert examination.

Final Report:

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