No fatalities

Twin-engine aircraft caught fire after hard landing and gear collapse (CR-AAX)

Inhambane, MozambiqueLanding (descent or approach)

On November 14, 1941, a Lockheed 14 Super Electra (registration CR-AAX) operated by DETA Mozambique Airlines - Direcção de Exploração dos Transportes Aéreos was involved in an aviation accident near Inhambane, Mozambique during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: A hard landing caused the left main gear to collapse, leading the aircraft to veer off the runway and catch fire. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 5 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-08-04Data APIEditorial standards

A twin-engine aircraft named 'Zambeze' veered off the runway following a hard landing that caused the left main gear to collapse. The plane burst into flames, resulting in no casualties but partial destruction of the airframe.

What happened

During the landing phase, the aircraft experienced a hard landing which resulted in the immediate collapse of the left main landing gear. Following this structural failure, the twin-engine airplane veered off the runway surface. The aircraft eventually came to a stop but subsequently burst into flames. Although the fire partially destroyed the airframe, there were no reported fatalities or injuries among those on board.

Findings

The incident was precipitated by the hard landing event that directly caused the failure of the left main gear. This mechanical failure led to the loss of directional control, causing the aircraft to leave the runway and ignite.

Probable cause

A hard landing caused the left main gear to collapse, leading the aircraft to veer off the runway and catch fire.