What happened
On the scheduled service UT736, an aircraft traveling from Johannesburg toward Paris departed from Salisbury Airport at 12:52 local time. The flight was originally intended for Brazzaville. During the takeoff roll on runway 24, the aircraft encountered heavy rain.
As the aircraft type climbed to an altitude of approximately 50 feet, it experienced a significant reduction in both airspeed and altitude. Despite the pilot applying full engine power, maintaining 20 inches of extended flaps, and having the landing gear retracted, the plane could not maintain flight and descended back onto the runway surface. An intense fire erupted immediately following the impact.
The accident resulted in three fatalities among the passengers. There were a total of 63 passengers and 7 crew members on board at the time of the crash.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the aircraft struck the ground during the initial climb phase because it suffered an unmanageable loss of speed and altitude. This loss of performance was triggered by a sudden squall associated with an approaching thunderstorm.