What happened
A flight traveling from Ouagadougou to Abidjan, transporting military equipment for the French Army's 'Barkhane' operation, crashed during its arrival phase. The aircraft was carrying a total of ten people, consisting of seven passengers and three crew members. As the flight approached Abidjan-Félix Houphouët-Boigny Airport, the crew faced challenging weather conditions characterized by heavy rainfall and significantly reduced visibility.
During the short final stage of the approach, the aircraft descended beneath the Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA). The plane struck the surface of the water and crashed into the sea, coming to rest a few hundred meters before the threshold of runway 03. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft. Emergency responders and rescue efforts managed to save six occupants, but the accident resulted in four fatalities, which included all three members of the flight crew.
Findings
Investigations into the crash highlighted that the weather conditions at the time of the accident were below the required minimums for safe operation. The presence of heavy rain contributed to the poor visibility encountered by the crew during the final approach to the runway.