On March 12, 1997, an Antonov AN-12 (registration RA-11531) operated by Von Haaf Air was involved in an aviation accident near Lucapa, Angola during landing or approach. 15 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The crew failed to recognize that the aircraft was at an insufficient altitude during the third landing attempt in heavy fog. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A four-engine aircraft crashed and caught fire during a third landing attempt at Lucapa following heavy fog and previous aborted approaches.
What happened
During a series of landing attempts at Lucapa, an aircraft experienced a series of aborted approaches due to poor visibility. While performing the initial final approach, the captain encountered heavy fog which prevented visual contact with the runway, leading to a decision to execute a go-around. A subsequent attempt to land a few minutes later was also abandoned.
During a third attempt to land, the aircraft struck obstacles located approximately 200 metres to the right of the runway. The impact caused the plane to crash and subsequently burst into flames. There were 15 fatalities among the occupants of the four-engine aircraft.
Findings
Investigations into the accident indicate that the crew failed to maintain sufficient altitude during the third approach attempt, resulting in the collision with obstacles.
Probable cause
The crew failed to recognize that the aircraft was at an insufficient altitude during the third landing attempt in heavy fog.