What happened
A flight transporting tourists to the Matambwe area of the Selous Game Reserve ended in an accident during the landing phase. The passengers included several adults, children of various ages, and an infant. The flight was operated by a pilot employed by DJB Ltd, following an arrangement made via Wings of Zanzibar.
The Piper PA31-310 Navajo departed from Dar es Salaam at 0825 hours, cruising at FL 65. Upon arriving at the Matambwe airstrip at 0902 hours, the pilot performed low passes to inspect the runway and check for wildlife. After assessing the strip, the pilot attempted to land on runway 28 using full flaps. The aircraft touched down approximately 250 meters past the usable portion of the runway.
Realizing the remaining distance was insufficient to stop, the pilot attempted a go-around by increasing power. However, the aircraft failed to gain airspeed and continued flying level at full power. The plane clipped treetops for roughly 200 meters beyond the runway end before the starboard wing struck a large tree. This impact caused the aircraft to rotate 180 degrees. While all passengers evacuated the wreckage before it was consumed by fire, one fatality occurred when a passenger died in the hospital. Two passengers sustained serious injuries, while the remaining occupants suffered minor injuries.
Findings
The investigation determined that the primary cause of the accident was the aircraft striking trees just past the runway perimeter. Contributing factors included the pilot's failure to use the appropriate flap setting for the go-around, a lack of proficiency training, inadequate flight preparation, and relying on outdated information regarding the actual condition of the Matambwe runway.