On July 24, 1981, a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter (registration 5R-MGB) operated by Air Madagascar was involved in an aviation accident near Maroantsetra, Madagascar in flight. 19 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft flew into a mountain slope while under controlled flight conditions. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A twin-engine airplane crashed into a mountainside during a flight from Maroantsetra to Andalaha, resulting in no survivors.
What happened
During a scheduled flight departing from Maroantsetra and bound for Andalaha, a twin engine airplane encountered difficult weather conditions while maintaining cruising altitude. During this period of marginal visibility, the aircraft impacted the side of a mountain situated to the northeast of Maroantsetra.
Search efforts located the debris field several hours after the impact occurred. The accident resulted in the deaths of all 19 occupants on board the aircraft.
Findings
Investigations into the crash determined that the primary reason for the accident was controlled flight into terrain.
Probable cause
The aircraft flew into a mountain slope while under controlled flight conditions.