What happened
A charter flight traveling from Lusaka to Dakar, with scheduled stops in Brazzaville, Libreville, and Abidjan, crashed into the ocean near Libreville-Léon Mba Airport. The aircraft was transporting the entire staff of the National Zambian Football Team, who were en route to participate in the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
During the initial climb phase, approximately one minute after departing from Libreville, the left engine experienced a failure. In the ensuing confusion, the captain incorrectly shut down the right engine. This loss of power caused the aircraft to lose altitude, leading to an impact with the sea roughly 500 meters from the shore. The aircraft subsequently sank, and all 30 occupants on board were killed.
Records indicate the aircraft had been out of service from December 21, 1992, until April 21, 1993, before being utilized by the Zambian Government for this mission. Maintenance checks, specifically A and B checks, had been performed between April 22 and April 26, just one day before the flight departed.
Findings
- The primary cause of the loss of altitude was the incorrect shutdown of the right engine by the pilot following an initial failure of the left engine.