On May 24, 1986, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) operated by Malagasy Air Force - Armée de l'Air Malgache was involved in an aviation accident near Antsirabé, Madagascar during landing or approach. 13 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft struck terrain during descent due to limited visibility caused by low cloud cover. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
An aircraft crashed into a mountainside during its descent to Antsirabé Airport, resulting in no survivors.
What happened
During an approach to Antsirabé Airport, the aircraft was performing a descent when it collided with a mountain slope situated a short distance from the airfield. At the time of the impact, the flight crew was navigating through conditions characterized by low cloud cover and significantly reduced visibility.
The collision resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft. There were no survivors among the 13 fatalities recorded in the accident.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to the crash was poor visibility caused by low clouds during the descent phase.
The impact occurred on a mountain slope located near the destination airport.
Probable cause
The aircraft struck terrain during descent due to limited visibility caused by low cloud cover.