What happened
A cargo operation traveling from Lanseria to Lubumbashi, with a scheduled refueling stop at Francistown Airport, resulted in an aircraft accident during the arrival phase. The aircraft was transporting a shipment of ion exchange resins intended for water purification processes.
While attempting an early morning approach, the flight crew encountered significantly reduced visibility caused by heavy fog. In response to these environmental conditions, the crew decided to abort the initial approach and executed a go-around maneuver.
During a subsequent attempt to land from the opposite direction, the crew communicated with Air Traffic Control, reporting that they had established visual contact with the runway. However, shortly after this report, the aircraft impacted a wooded area situated approximately 4.6 km before reaching the runway threshold.
Findings
- The flight was operating in foggy conditions which severely limited visibility during the approach.
- The accident occurred during the landing phase of the flight.
- The aircraft crashed in a bushy area located several kilometers short of the destination runway.