On October 25, 2017, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan (registration 5H-THR) operated by Coastal Aviation was involved in an aviation accident near Lobo, Tanzania during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft lost directional control immediately following touchdown, leading to a runway excursion. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 3 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A single-engine aircraft veered off the runway and struck a tree after landing at the Lobo Airstrip, resulting in several injuries.
What happened
On the date of the incident, a single-engine aircraft was performing a landing at the Lobo Airstrip, located near the Lobo Wildlife Lodge within the Serengeti National Park. Upon completing the touchdown, the aircraft lost directional control and drifted toward the left side of the runway. The excursion continued until the plane collided with a tree.
While the impact caused the aircraft to be damaged beyond repair, no fire was reported at the scene. The incident involved a total of eleven people on board. The pilot and two passengers sustained injuries during the collision, while the remaining eight occupants were not harmed.
Findings
The aircraft veered off the runway following touchdown.
The sequence of events concluded when the aircraft struck a tree.
Probable cause
The aircraft lost directional control immediately following touchdown, leading to a runway excursion.