Accident Overview
On 13 December 1999, at 1029 hours, aircraft 5H-GTO departed Zanzibar Airport on a direct VFR flight to Chankonde. The pilot was the sole occupant at that time. The aircraft had an endurance of six hours. The purpose of the flight was to pick up a party of five hunters at Chankonde hunting airstrip and transport them to Dar es Salaam.
The outbound leg was uneventful. The pilot reported to Dar Control at 1153 hours that he had Chankonde in sight and estimated landing at 1215 hours. The aircraft landed at 1216 hours. Before landing, the pilot circled the airstrip and observed pools of water on the runway.
Boarding and Takeoff Preparation
At Chankonde, five passengers boarded the aircraft for the flight to Dar es Salaam. The pilot stated that all heavy baggage and two members of the hunting party left by road. The remaining five passengers carried only hand luggage.
For takeoff, the pilot taxied to the threshold of runway 07, selected the first stage of flaps, and applied full power while holding the brakes. He testified that he did not lean the mixtures as he saw no requirement for this.
Takeoff and Abort
The initial takeoff roll appeared normal to the pilot. After covering approximately 600 metres and accelerating through 65–70 knots, the aircraft encountered a muddy ditch, causing the pilot to feel a deceleration. It became apparent that he would not achieve takeoff speed and clear the trees ahead. He decided to abort the takeoff.
When the engines were throttled back and brakes applied, the aircraft continued rolling on the wet and slippery sandy surface, overran the end of runway 07, and collided with trees located about 60 metres beyond the runway end.
Impact and Fire
Upon impact with the trees, both wing sections outboard of the engines separated from the aircraft and caught fire. The aircraft came to rest approximately 56 metres forward of the detached wing sections. The grass beneath the aircraft and the right engine were also on fire.
The pilot was unable to open the cockpit door because it was blocked by a tree. He then went aft and opened the main door. As he did so, one passenger, described as tall and muscular, pushed the pilot, causing him to fall by the doorway onto the ground where the grass was on fire. All five passengers stepped on the pilot as they escaped. The pilot managed to rise on his own, returned to the cabin, and retrieved the fire extinguisher. He fought the fire under the fuselage, the tail, and the right engine. A vehicle with 20 litres of water arrived and assisted in extinguishing the fire on the left side of the fuselage.
Injuries and Damage
The passenger in the copilot seat sustained a cut on his eyebrow. Another passenger suffered minor burns on his fingers. The pilot, used as a stepping stone and a fire blanket by the escaping passengers, sustained first-degree burns to his face and both arms.
Both wings and parts of the tailplane were torn from the fuselage by impact with the trees and were partly destroyed by fire. The fuselage suffered relatively less damage, and the cabin remained intact. However, much of the interior equipment was destroyed by unknown persons a few days after the accident when the wreckage was left unguarded.
Weather and Airstrip Conditions
At the time of the accident, the weather was sunny with no wind. The ground was wet from recent rains in the area. Chankonde Airstrip, elevation 3,386 feet, has a single runway 07/25, 1,000 metres long and 30 metres wide. The surface is sand with scattered patches of grass. Tall trees begin 60 metres beyond the end of runway 07.