On January 26, 1972, a Britten-Norman Islander (registration A2-ZEV) operated by Air Botswana was involved in an aviation accident near Xakanaka, Botswana in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft experienced mechanical failures while en route, necessitating an emergency landing in an uninhabited area. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
An aircraft performing an en route flight experienced technical difficulties, resulting in an emergency landing in a remote area north of Maun.
What happened
During an active flight phase, the pilot encountered unexpected mechanical issues with the aircraft. In response to these technical complications, the pilot performed an emergency descent and landed the plane in an unpopulated region. The landing site was situated approximately 128 km north of Maun and roughly 40 km north of Xakanaxa.
Despite the impact, all nine occupants were successfully retrieved from the wreckage without reported injuries. While the passengers and crew survived, the aircraft sustained damage that rendered it a total loss.
Findings
The primary factor leading to the incident was the occurrence of technical problems during the flight.
Probable cause
The aircraft experienced mechanical failures while en route, necessitating an emergency landing in an uninhabited area.
An X-AIR HAWK ultralight crashed in Chonburi, Thailand, killing the pilot and injuring a passenger. The accident was caused by deteriorated wing fabric and…
A Challenger II Special ultralight aircraft (U-B23) landed off-runway at Pai Airport, Mae Hong Son, on September 17, 2024, due to a gust of wind. No injuries…
The Polish aviation safety authority is investigating a serious incident involving an AT-3R100 aircraft that occurred on September 2, 2024. The investigation…
A SZD-48-3 glider suffered damage when its left wing struck a ground obstacle during a low final approach at EPWK on June 20, 2025. The pilot was uninjured.
A 39-year-old skydiver died after a hard landing near Leszno on May 1, 2026. The PKBWL preliminary report indicates the fatal impact resulted from a late,…
A student pilot crashed an SZD-50-3 Puchacz glider into the airfield fence during a solo training flight on June 6, 2026. The pilot was uninjured, but the…