What happened
On a flight operating from Johannesburg to London via several intermediate stops, a Boeing 707-344C, registered ZS-EUW, departed Windhoek-Strijdom International Airport in Namibia. The departure occurred at 20:49 under conditions of extreme darkness, characterized by a lack of moonlight and an indistinct horizon.
After taking off from runway 08, the aircraft reached an altitude of roughly 650 feet before leveling off and beginning a descent. Approximately thirty seconds later, the plane struck the ground at a distance of about 5,327 meters from the runway threshold. The impact site was situated approximately 179 feet below the airport elevation. At the moment of contact, the aircraft was traveling at a ground speed of roughly 271 knots in a slightly left-wing-down orientation. The force of the impact caused the fuselage and all four engines to dig into the earth, leading to the breakup of the airframe and two subsequent fires. The accident resulted in 128 fatalities and left five passengers with serious injuries.
Findings
The investigation determined that the primary cause was a human factor rather than mechanical failure. Following takeoff, the crew retracted the flaps and reduced engine power to climb settings. During this transition, the aircraft began to lose altitude. The pilot, likely experiencing spatial disorientation, adjusted the stabilizer trim in a manner that maintained a pitch attitude he believed was climbing, when it was actually descending.
Several contributing factors were identified, including the difficulty of operating in total darkness without external visual references and the crew's preoccupation with post-takeoff checklists. Additionally, the co-pilot did not sufficiently monitor flight instruments to detect the loss of altitude. Potential secondary factors included confusion regarding the specific instrument layout of the C model Boeing 707 compared to previous models, a misinterpretation of the altimeter readings, and possible distractions such as a bird or bat strike.