What happened
Shortly after departing from Lunda-4 de Fevereiro Airport bound for Catumbela, the flight crew identified a malfunction within the aircraft's hydraulic systems. Following this discovery, the crew notified Air Traffic Control of the technical issues and received authorization to perform an emergency return to Luanda.
Because the failure affected the primary hydraulic system, the crew was unable to deploy the landing gear. To mitigate the risk, the pilots opted to perform a belly landing on the unpaved terrain situated between runways 23 and 25. During the procedure, the aircraft type slid across the grass for several dozen meters before coming to a complete stop. There were zero fatalities and zero injuries reported among the two pilots, though the aircraft sustained damage that rendered it a total loss.
Findings
- The loss of pressure in the primary hydraulic system prevented the extension of the landing gear.
- The failure of the primary hydraulic system necessitated the decision to land on the ground without gear.