What happened
A scheduled flight service originating from Arusha was conducting a multi-stop itinerary, planned to visit Lake Many and Klein’s Camp, Grumet, and Seronera before returning to its base. The aircraft, a 5H-MUA, departed Arusha at 05:30 hours carrying one pilot and three passengers. The initial leg of the flight to Lake Manyara proceeded without incident, with the aircraft touching down at 05:55 hours.
Following the arrival at Lake Manyara, five additional passengers boarded the aircraft. The flight departed for Klein’s Camp at 06:15 hours. Shortly after beginning the initial climb, the aircraft suffered an engine failure. In response to the loss of power, the pilot feathered the propeller and attempted to perform an emergency landing on a nearby road. During this maneuver, the pilot had to take evasive action to avoid a truck traveling on the road. This maneuver caused the aircraft to lose necessary airspeed and altitude, resulting in a collision with a stone wall situated beside the roadway, where the aircraft eventually came to a stop.
Findings
- The primary sequence of events was triggered by the failure of the engine during the climb phase.
- The necessity of avoiding a vehicle on the road contributed to the loss of flight stability.
- The crash resulted in nine fatalities being avoided, as all occupants were rescued, though five individuals sustained serious injuries.