No fatalities

1956-04-21: De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (VP-YIM) — Central African Airways - CAA — Lunzu, Malawi

Lunzu, MalawiFlight

On April 21, 1956, a De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (registration VP-YIM) operated by Central African Airways - CAA was involved in an aviation accident near Lunzu, Malawi in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot attempted an emergency landing in heavy fog, which led to the aircraft striking a tree. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 7 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781250283Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft crashed in Lunzu during an attempted emergency landing caused by heavy fog while approaching Chileka Airport.

What happened

During an approach to Blantyre, the pilot encountered significantly reduced visibility resulting from dense fog. In response to these weather conditions, the pilot initiated an emergency landing procedure. During this maneuver, the aircraft type struck a tree and crashed in the Lunzu area, situated approximately 6 km northeast of Chileka Airport.

The impact resulted in the total destruction of the airframe. There were five injuries reported among the occupants of the plane, but no fatalities occurred during the accident.

Findings

  • The primary factor leading to the crash was low visibility due to foggy conditions encountered during the approach phase.

Probable cause

The pilot attempted an emergency landing in heavy fog, which led to the aircraft striking a tree.