Accident
On 30 January 2000, Kenya Airways Flight 431 (KQ431) crashed into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after takeoff from Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The aircraft, an Airbus A310-304 registered 5Y-BEN, was on a scheduled passenger flight to Lagos, Nigeria, and then to Nairobi, Kenya. At 21:09:24 UTC, 33 seconds after departure, the aircraft impacted the water approximately 1.5 nautical miles south of the runway. On board were 179 people: 2 flight crew, 8 cabin crew, and 169 passengers. The accident resulted in 169 fatalities and 10 injuries. All ten crew members were killed; among the passengers, 159 were killed and ten were injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The cargo included a coffin.
Investigation
The Côte d'Ivoire Accident Investigation Commission led the inquiry, with participation from Kenya (state of registry) and France (state of design) as per Annex 13 of the Chicago Convention. The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) were recovered and analyzed. The investigation examined operational aspects, aircraft systems, and flight crew performance.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined that the accident was caused by a loss of control in flight following an aerodynamic stall, consequent to an excessive pitch-up attitude after takeoff.