What happened
On the morning of 29 January 2016, a privately operated Cessna 425 Conquest was conducting a flight for the purpose of renewing CPL and IR ratings for two pilots under the supervision of a Designated Examiner. The flight was scheduled to depart at 07:45, climbing to a cruising altitude of FL100, with a destination of Hosea Kutako Airport.
During the approach, the crew requested an Instrument Landing System (ILS) procedure for runway 26. Air Traffic Control (ATC) provided the necessary instructions, including a QNH of 1024, and instructed the pilots to report when they reached nine miles inbound. The crew complied with the request, and ATC subsequently authorized a VOR approach and an early right-hand turnout as requested by the examiner. The controller was instructed to notify ATC if a go-around was performed.
As the aircraft reached approximately 4nm on final approach, the controller observed the plane but momentarily looked away. During this brief interval, a loud noise was heard, followed by the sight of a fireball located roughly 300 meters north-northeast of the runway 26 threshold. The controller attempted to contact the aircraft three times without success. Following the observation of the fire, the controller activated the crash alarm and notified the airport fire station.
By the time the airport's Fire and Rescue team arrived at the site, approximately 10 minutes after the initial alert, the aircraft and its occupants were fully engulfed in flames. The rescue team spent several minutes extinguishing the fire. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were clear with unrestricted visibility and winds from 140 degrees at 8 knots.
Findings
- The aircraft crashed approximately 300 meters NNE of the runway 26 threshold.
- The flight was being conducted for the specific purpose of pilot rating renewals.
- The accident resulted in fatalities for all occupants, as the aircraft was fully engulfed by the time emergency services arrived.