What happened
A cargo operation traveling from Cabinda to Luanda resulted in an aircraft accident during the final approach phase. The aircraft, which was transporting 10 tons of various goods along with seven crew members, began its approach at a distance of 1,850 meters from the runway threshold. During this sequence, the aircraft was positioned approximately 13 meters above the glide slope.
In an attempt to correct the flight path, the crew increased the descent rate by 6.6 meters per second. This maneuver caused the aircraft to drop below the intended glide slope at a distance of 1,350 meters from the threshold. Although the aircraft had stabilized at an altitude of 12 meters when it reached 290 meters from the runway, it then encountered significant wind disturbances.
As the aircraft faced these strong winds, the nose pitched downward while the airspeed decreased from 260 km/h to 248 km/h. The aircraft subsequently struck the ground at a distance short of the runway threshold, experiencing a positive acceleration of 3.45 g. The force of the impact caused the undercarriage to be torn away, and the aircraft slid for several dozen meters before coming to a halt. There were zero fatalities among the seven crew members, all of whom escaped the wreckage without injury, though the aircraft was determined to be a total loss.
Findings
- The descent became unstable after the crew increased the rate of descent to intercept the glide slope.
- Strong winds encountered near the runway threshold contributed to the aircraft nosed down and losing airspeed.