History of the Flight
On October 24, 2021, a Shorts 360 aircraft, registered as 9S-GAP and operated by Malu Aviation of the Democratic Republic of Congo, departed Goma Airport at approximately 05:20 UTC. The aircraft was en route to Lanseria Airport in South Africa for a scheduled maintenance check, with planned stops at Ndola and Joshua Nkhomo. On board were two pilots and three engineers. The flight was conducted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) at a cruising flight level of FL125.
At 09:13 UTC, the crew made initial radio contact with Ndola Approach, requesting clearance into Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport (SMKIA). The controller cleared the aircraft and provided the METAR. The pilot requested descent at 28 nautical miles and descended to 5,000 feet, with instructions to report when SMKIA was in sight. At 09:28 UTC, the crew reported SMKIA in sight while on left base for the runway in use. Ndola Approach then handed the aircraft over to Ndola Tower, which cleared it for final approach to Runway 09, providing wind information and a caution about bird activity. The tower subsequently cleared the aircraft to land on Runway 09, although the tower controller did not see the aircraft on final.
At 09:40 UTC, Ndola Tower reported they could not see the aircraft on final approach and made multiple attempts to contact it. Shortly thereafter, Ndola Approach informed the tower that the aircraft was on the ground at Peter Zuze Military Airport, located 8 nautical miles southeast of SMKIA.
Aircraft and Personnel Information
The Shorts 360 (serial number SH3612) is a twin-engine aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65AR engines. It was issued a Certificate of Airworthiness on January 15, 2018, with the latest endorsement on July 11, 2021, and was confirmed airworthy. The Pilot-in-Command held an Airline Transport Pilot License issued by the Congolese Civil Aviation Authority, with approximately 22,000 total flight hours, including 5,000 hours on type. The First Officer held a Commercial Pilot License, also from the Congolese authority, with 500 total hours, including about 100 hours on type.
Injuries and Damage
There were no injuries to persons. The aircraft sustained no damage.
Meteorological and Aerodrome Information
Meteorological conditions at SMKIA were forecast as clear sky, light winds, and visibility OK. Surface wind was 140° at 9 knots, temperature 32°C, QNH 1019 millibars. Peter Zuze Military Airport is a controlled airfield with a bitumen runway oriented 10/28, length 2,500 meters, width 46 meters, and elevation 4,166 feet. The airport has navigation aids, but landing was conducted under VFR.
Investigation and Cause
The investigation team determined that the cause of the incident was due to Human Factors. The team also identified additional contributory and latent factors.