Overview
On a mid-morning charter flight, two Cessna 404 Titan II aircraft operated by Northern Air departed Seronera Lodge bound for Kilimanjaro Airport. The first aircraft carried seven US tourists and one pilot, while the second carried 11 US tourists and one pilot, totaling 18 passengers and two pilots. The passengers were scheduled to transfer to Nairobi via Air Kenya after landing.
Accident Sequence
After takeoff, the pilot of the first aircraft warned the second pilot about poor visibility in the area. The second aircraft continued cruising in marginal weather conditions at an altitude of 8,770 feet. It subsequently struck the southern slope of Mt Meru, a peak 4,565 meters high. The wreckage was found the following day at an altitude of 2,833 meters. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces, and all 12 occupants were killed.
Investigation
Investigators determined that the pilot had informed his colleague of an intention to maintain flight level 110 (FL110) at a distance of 53 km from the first beacon. However, for unknown reasons, the aircraft was at an insufficient altitude of 9,500 feet when it was 45 km from the first beacon. The investigation was unable to determine why the pilot failed to maintain the minimum safe altitude for the area.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause is controlled flight into terrain after the pilot failed to maintain the minimum safe altitude for the area of Mt Meru. Poor weather conditions with low clouds and drizzle were a contributing factor.