What happened
During the final approach phase toward Benguela Airport, the flight crew failed to maintain the necessary altitude for a safe landing. As the aircraft reached the short final stage of its descent, it made contact with the ground approximately 4 meters before reaching the runway threshold.
The force of the impact caused the undercarriage to be ripped from the airframe. Following the initial strike, the aircraft slid across the terrain for roughly 900 meters. During this excursion, the plane veered slightly to the right, resulting in the loss of the right wing and the left engine. The sequence concluded when the wreckage came to a halt and ignited into flames.
All 134 occupants on board were successfully evacuated from the wreckage. Among those rescued, 34 individuals sustained injuries during the accident.
Findings
Investigations into the incident identified that the pilot was unable to properly monitor and follow the required approach slope. This difficulty was attributed to the absence of visual approach slope indicators (VASIs) and runway threshold markings at the airport.