What happened
A twin-engine aircraft was conducting a humanitarian flight from Addis Ababa to a refugee camp located in Funyido, intended to support a food program in Ethiopia. Approximately ninety minutes after departure, the aircraft encountered adverse weather conditions while traversing mountainous terrain. While maintaining an altitude of 3,600 feet, the plane collided with a mountain slope situated roughly 30 km southeast of Gambela.
Following the failure of the flight to reach its intended destination, search and rescue operations were launched. The wreckage was not located until one week after the disappearance, having been found in a remote area. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and 16 fatalities among all occupants on board.
Findings
Investigations into the accident concluded that the crew was operating the aircraft under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) while flying through Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC), which led to the controlled flight into terrain.