Accident Overview
A twin-engine aircraft operating a humanitarian food program flight from Addis Ababa to a refugee camp in Funyido, Ethiopia, crashed into a mountain slope approximately 30 kilometers southeast of Gambela. The aircraft had been cruising at an altitude of 3,600 feet when it struck the terrain. The accident occurred about one hour and thirty minutes into the flight after the aircraft entered an area of poor weather conditions over mountainous terrain.
Search and Recovery
When the aircraft failed to arrive at its destination, search and rescue operations were initiated. The wreckage was located a week later in an isolated area. The aircraft was totally destroyed in the impact.
Occupants and Victims
All 16 occupants aboard the aircraft were killed. Among the victims was Thomas Mickey Leland, the U.S. Secretary of State at the time.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the cause of the accident was the crew flying under visual flight rules (VFR) mode in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).