Accident Overview
On 14 November 2011 at 15:13 UTC, a Cessna 177B Cardinal, registration TU-TGY, crashed near the aerodrome of Daloa, Côte d'Ivoire. The aircraft was on a private passenger flight from Abidjan to Daloa and return. Shortly after takeoff from runway 04 for the return leg, the airplane lost altitude, collided with trees, and impacted the ground approximately 400 meters from the runway end and 150 meters left of the runway centerline. All four occupants—one crew member and three passengers—died. The aircraft was destroyed, the cargo was seriously damaged, and crops in the area were damaged.
Aircraft and Operator
The aircraft was a Cessna 177B Cardinal, registered TU-TGY, owned by Christian Dur. It was operated by the Aéro-Club d'Abidjan (ACA). The aircraft was not equipped with certified flight recorders; however, a portable Garmin GPS 296 and an EDM 830 engine data recorder (non-certified for this aircraft) were found on the wreckage and sent for expertise.
Investigation
The investigation was initiated by the Minister of Transport of Côte d'Ivoire on 16 November 2011, establishing a commission led by Sinaly SILUE. The commission included experts from ANAC, SODEXAM, and ASECNA. France, as a state with a victim, appointed an accredited representative from the BEA, but he did not visit the accident site. The United States and Russia, as states of manufacture and of two victims, were notified but did not appoint representatives. The wreckage was recovered to Abidjan and stored in a military hangar. The engine was tested on a dynamometer by Aero Maroc Trading in Morocco. The portable GPS and EDM 830 were analyzed in France under coordination with the French representative.
Findings
The report established that the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff. The engine run-up tests did not reveal any pre-impact malfunction. The exact cause of the loss of altitude was not determined from the available evidence. The investigation concluded with safety recommendations, but no specific probable cause was assigned in the provided source.