What happened
During a night-time delivery flight traveling from Brazzaville to Douala, the crew encountered technical difficulties while cruising over Gabon. After notifying air traffic control of the situation, the crew declared an emergency and decided to divert to the closest available landing site, which was the airfield at Ndjolé. This specific location lacked essential infrastructure, including runway lighting, approach lights, and any navigational aids.
In an effort to facilitate a safe landing, local residents cleared the airstrip by moving vehicles away from the path. The crew performed multiple circuits over the area to assess the landing conditions. Following four unsuccessful landing attempts, the aircraft attempted another approach but failed to touch down on the runway. The plane continued its trajectory over the Ogooué River before impacting a swampy, heavily wooded region. Search efforts involving two Gabonese Air Force helicopters located the debris the following day. The accident resulted in seven fatalities, with no survivors among the occupants. The aircraft had recently undergone a change in operators following the bankruptcy of Pont Aviation.
Findings
- The landing site at Ndjolé was not equipped with necessary navigational aids or runway lighting for a night arrival.
- The aircraft was unable to maintain the necessary flight path to touch down on the cleared airstrip, leading to an impact in a forested area.