Accident Overview
On a flight from Bazaruto Island to Vilanculos, a single-engine airplane carrying six passengers and one pilot began its takeoff roll on runway 20. After traveling approximately 400 meters, the aircraft started to veer to the left. Despite successive attempts to correct the flight trajectory, the airplane departed the runway. It subsequently crashed into bushes and came to rest facing the opposite direction of the takeoff, about 60 meters from the runway centerline.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation identified the most likely cause of the accident as human failure. Several contributing factors were noted. The pilot had exceeded the aircraft's certified capacity, operating with 10 occupants (1 pilot and 9 passengers) instead of the maximum 8 (1 pilot and 7 passengers). This overload, combined with prevailing meteorological conditions, may have influenced the aircraft's attitude during takeoff. Additionally, the pilot did not properly follow pre-flight procedures. He appeared to be in a hurry at departure and was distracted during the pre-flight inspection. This oversight may have led to forgetting to remove the lock of the vertical stabilizer. The investigation concluded that the pilot probably did not remove the lock, causing the vertical stabilizer to remain fixed and preventing directional control of the aircraft.