1 fatality

1990-11-09: Beechcraft 90 King Air (7Q-YMM) — Air Malawi — Blantyre, Malawi

Blantyre, MalawiLanding (descent or approach)

On November 9, 1990, a Beechcraft 90 King Air (registration 7Q-YMM) operated by Air Malawi was involved in an aviation accident near Blantyre, Malawi during landing or approach. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Failure of the left engine for unknown reasons. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781212470Data APIEditorial standards
Aircraft registered 7Q-YMM
Aircraft registered 7Q-YMM. Photo: Aeroprints.com / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A training flight from Blantyre-Chileka Airport crashed short of the runway after the left engine failed, resulting in one fatality and one serious injury.

Incident Overview

A training flight operated by one instructor and one pilot under training departed from Blantyre-Chileka Airport for a local training mission. Shortly after takeoff, the instructor shut down the right engine to simulate a failure. The flight continued with the right engine shut down.

Engine Failure and Attempted Restart

Minutes later, the left engine lost power and failed. The crew attempted to restart the right engine but was unsuccessful. With both engines inoperative, the pilots decided to return to Blantyre Airport.

Final Approach and Crash

During the final approach, the aircraft stalled and crashed approximately 1,300 meters short of the runway. One pilot was killed, and the other occupant sustained serious injuries.

Probable Cause

The official investigation determined the probable cause to be a failure of the left engine for unknown reasons.