Aircraft crash near Vilanculos Airport

1 fatality • Vilanculos, Mozambique • Landing (descent or approach)

A single-engine aircraft crashed during its final approach to Vilanculos, resulting in one fatality and two serious injuries.

What happened

A charter flight originating from Polokwane was en route to Madagascar, with a scheduled stop in Vilanculos. The flight was operated with two pilots and one passenger on board. During the night, while performing the final approach to Vilanculos Airport, the single-engine aircraft struck two palm trees. The impact caused the plane to crash approximately 2 km before reaching the runway.

Following the impact, the aircraft was completely destroyed. All three occupants sustained serious injuries during the accident. Several hours after the crash occurred, one of the pilots succumbed to his injuries.

Findings

The aircraft crashed after colliding with vegetation during the approach phase of the flight.

Probable cause

The aircraft struck trees during a night approach to the runway.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 2006-06-30 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan accident near Vilanculos, Mozambique?

A single-engine aircraft crashed during its final approach to Vilanculos, resulting in one fatality and two serious injuries.

Were there any fatalities in the 2006-06-30 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan accident?

The accident was fatal, resulting in 1 fatality.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2006-06-30 involved a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, registration ZS-POG, operated by Naturelink Charter, at Vilanculos, Mozambique.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The aircraft struck trees during a night approach to the runway.

Loading the flight search…

What you can do on Flight Finder

  • Search flights between any two airports with live fares.
  • By aircraft — pick a plane model (e.g. Boeing 787, Airbus A350) and see every route it flies from your origin.
  • Route map — click any airport worldwide to explore its destinations, or draw a radius to find nearby airports.
  • Global aviation safety — aviation accident database, 40,000+ records since 1980, with map and rankings by aircraft and operator.
  • NTSB safety feed — recent U.S. aviation accidents and incidents from the official NTSB CAROL database, updated daily.