Harare Province

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Harare - Harare

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

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Circumstances:

The crew departed Harare Airport for a local night training flight. Shortly after takeoff, the twin engine aircraft lost height and crashed. Both pilots were killed.

Crash of a Casa 212 Aviocar 200 in Harare

Date & Time: Dec 31, 1997

Type of aircraft:

Casa 212 Aviocar

Operator:

Registration:

801

Flight Type:

Military

Site:

Landing (descent or approach)

MSN:

293

YOM:

1983

Location:

Country:

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Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances at Harare Airport. Crew fate unknown. The exact date of the accident remains unknown, somewhere in 1997.

Crash of a Douglas DC-8-55F in Harare

Date & Time: Jan 28, 1996

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-8

Operator:

Registration:

Z-WSB

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Schedule:

Johannesburg - Harare

MSN:

45805

YOM:

1965

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful cargo flight from Johannesburg, the crew started the approach to Harare Airport in poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls. After landing on runway 05, the aircraft encountered difficulties and was unable to stop within the remaining distance (runway 05 is 4,750 metres long). It overran, lost its nose gear and came to rest. All five crew members escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

The following findings were reported:
- Poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls,
- Limited visibility,
- The runway 05 was wet and the braking action was reduced,
- The aircraft suffered aquaplaning,
- The reverse thrust systems were unserviceable on engine n°2 and 4,
- The crew completed the landing without the spoilers being armed,
- The aircraft was not airworthy,
- The crew failed to follow the approach checklist.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-1-DK in Harare

Date & Time: Sep 20, 1988

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Crest Breeders

Registration:

Z-WRJ

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

MSN:

11989

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Pax on board:

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Circumstances:

After takeoff from Harare-Charles Prince Airport, while climbing, the right engine failed. The aircraft stalled and crashed 5 km from the airport. All three crew members were injured.

Probable cause:

Failure of the right engine during initial climb for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-75-DL in Salisbury: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 22, 1961 at 1102 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Rhodesian Air Services

Registration:

VP-YRX

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Positioning

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Salisbury - Livingstone - Elizabethville

MSN:

19351

YOM:

1943

Location:

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Region:

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Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

6023

Captain / Total hours on type:

4620.00

Aircraft flight hours:

18716

Circumstances:

The aircraft was on a charter flight to Livingstone to pick up United Nations troops (34 Swedish blue helmets) on leave and take them back to Elizabethville. It took off from Salisbury Airport, and shortly after take-off suddenly dipped its right wing. After a slow recovery, it climbed away to between 100 - 150 ft and then went into a turn to the left with the port propeller windmilling. This turn continued to get steeper until the aircraft rolled over and dived inverted to the ground less than 600 yd southeast of the threshold of runway 06. Fire broke out but was quickly extinguished. The pilot and co-pilot were killed as a result of the accident, and the stewardess was seriously injured. No passengers were aboard the flight. The accident occurred at 0902 hours GMT.

Probable cause:

The accident was caused by failure of the pilot to execute a successful single engine forced landing after concluding that there had been a power loss in the port engine. Evidence indicated that a failure of the port engine did not, in fact, occur. The pre-take-off rudder trimmer check was not carried out correctly as laid down in the checklist, and the aircraft took off with full left rudder trim applied. Once airborne this was misinterpreted as port engine failure, and the port propeller was feathered. No apparent action was taken by the pilot to correct the ensuing critical speed yaw.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-6 in Salisbury: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 26, 1958 at 1252 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-6

Operator:

Registration:

F-BGTZ

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Johannesburg – Salisbury – Brazzaville – Algiers – Nice – Paris

MSN:

43827/337

YOM:

1953

Flight number:

UT736

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Circumstances:

The aircraft was operating UAT scheduled service UT736 from Johannesburg to Paris. It took off from Salisbury Airport at 1252LT for Brazzaville and during takeoff from runway 24 entered rain. The aircraft climbed to about 50 feet and then began to lose airspeed and height. Although the captain was using full power, had 20" of flap extended and the undercarriage retracted, he was unable to prevent the aircraft sinking back on to the ground. Fire broke out immediately after impact. Of the 7 crew and 63 passengers on board, three passengers were killed.

Probable cause:

The aircraft struck the ground shortly after take-off as a result of an uncontrollable loss of airspeed and height due to a sudden squall accompanying the onset of a thunderstorm.

Final Report:

Crash of a Vickers 610 Viking 1B in Salisbury: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 5, 1956

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Viking

Operator:

Registration:

VP-YMO

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Landing (descent or approach)

Schedule:

Salisbury – Salisbury

MSN:

227

YOM:

1947

Location:

Country:

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Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a local training sortie at Salisbury Airport. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing, the airplane went out of control and crashed 3 km from the airfield. Both pilots were killed. It is believed the accident was caused by an error on part of the copilot.

Crash of a Vickers 616 Viking AB in Salisbury

Date & Time: Mar 17, 1955 at 1427 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Viking

Operator:

Registration:

VP-YEX

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Schedule:

Johannesburg – Salisbury

MSN:

159

YOM:

1946

Flight number:

CAA120

Location:

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Region:

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Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Jan Smuts Airport at 1115LT on a scheduled flight to Belvedere Airport, Salisbury, under VFR conditions, carrying 23 passengers and a crew of 5. At 1427LT, while approaching runway 27 from the east on final approach during a thunderstorm, the undercarriage struck the ground a short distance to the north and east of the threshold of runway 27, causing the starboard tire to burst, the starboard leg of the undercarriage to break and the starboard propeller engine to be severely damaged. The pilot endeavored to undertake overshoot procedure but as the starboard engine and propeller could not deliver power and the aircraft was at a speed below the minimum required for effective control, he was obliged to make a crash landing. No one was injured but the aircraft was extensively damaged.

Probable cause:

The accident was caused not by mechanical defect of the aircraft nor by the conduct of the pilot but by a combination of unusual and unexpected circumstances . Had the sudden downpour of rain not taken place at the critical moment, it is almost certain that no accident would have occurred.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-15-DK in Salisbury: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 23, 1955 at 0920 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

VP-YKO

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site: