What happened
On the evening of 23 March 2005, an Ilyushin IL-76 cargo aircraft, registered as ER-IBR, arrived at Mwanza from Benghazi, Libya. The aircraft, operated by Air Trans Inc. as flight RIN 982, was scheduled to continue to Osijek, Croatia, via stops in Khartoum and Benghazi. During its stay in Mwanza, the plane loaded approximately 50,000 kg of fish. The flight crew, consisting of 8 crew members, prepared for departure to Khartoum later that night.
At approximately 2000 hours, the flight received departure clearance and takeoff information. The pilot subsequently notified air traffic control that the takeoff roll was commencing. While the aircraft appeared to perform a standard takeoff from runway 30, it disappeared from the controller's view shortly after becoming airborne. The runway in question terminates approximately 120 meters before the edge of Lake Victoria.
Following the loss of visual contact, the controller attempted to contact the aircraft via radio, but no response was received. Roughly two minutes after takeoff, an emergency fire tender was seen traveling down runway 30, signaling a potential accident. Local fishermen near the airport witnessed the aircraft descending into the lake. Although the crew members were unable to survive, the fishermen reached the wreckage in boats and recovered various items, including wiring diagrams and flight manuals, that were floating in the water.
Findings
- The aircraft crashed into Lake Victoria, which is located just beyond the end of the runway.
- The 8 crew members on board were all killed in the accident.
- The airport's rescue and firefighting services lacked the necessary equipment to conduct operations on the lake, as the wreckage settled more than 1 km from the shoreline.