What happened
A transport mission traveling from Berberati toward Bambari, which included a scheduled stop in Bangui, resulted in a fatal crash in the Central African Republic. The flight was carrying a crew of three along with six passengers, including the President of the Central African Republic and members of his staff.
Approximately 27 minutes after departing from Berberati Airport, the Noratlas aircraft was maintaining its cruising altitude when the right wing suffered a structural failure and separated from the fuselage. Following this loss of control, the plane descended rapidly into the savanna area situated near Boukewayanga. The impact caused the total destruction of the airframe. There were nine fatalities in the accident, with no survivors reported among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations into the wreckage indicated that the separation of the right wing was triggered by intense vibrations during flight. These oscillations were attributed to the installation of extra engines on this specific Noratlas model, which created structural instability.