What happened
While performing the final approach to Bukoba, the crew encountered severe weather conditions, including heavy rainfall, lightning, and significant turbulence alongside strong crosswinds. During this phase, the aircraft experienced several nose-down inputs on the control column, which accelerated the rate of descent. Approximately 15 seconds prior to the impact, the EGPWS issued a sink rate alert, followed by a pull-up warning 2 seconds before the event. Despite the crew attempting a nose-up correction, the aircraft type struck the surface of Lake Victoria roughly 500 meters before reaching the threshold of runway 31.
The impact with the water caused extensive damage to the fuselage, leading to the flooding of both the flight deck and the passenger cabin. While the aircraft did not catch fire, the structural damage was so severe that the plane was deemed a total loss. The wreckage eventually settled on the lake floor at a depth of approximately 3 to 4 meters. Of the 43 people on board, there were 21 fatalities, including the two pilots and 19 passengers, while 24 individuals—comprising 22 passengers and 2 cabin crew members—survived the incident without serious injury.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the primary factor was the execution of an unstabilized final approach under adverse weather conditions that prevented clear visual contact with the ground. Additional contributing elements included the pilot in command's decision to attempt landing through a narrow window of deteriorating weather, the intense workload placed on the crew by the thunderstorm, and the presence of variable crosswinds and turbulence. Furthermore, the lack of air traffic services at the destination airport was noted as a contributing factor to the accident.