What happened
A flight departing from Sibay Airport with a crew of three and 13 passengers encountered severe difficulties during its departure. Although weather conditions were marginal, the flight was conducted under visual flight rules. Shortly after takeoff, the flight crew departed from the established departure procedure and moved away from the published route.
Approximately thirty minutes into the journey, the weather worsened as low clouds moved into the area. After the aircraft became enveloped in clouds, the captain attempted to execute a return to Sibay. However, by this stage, the aircraft had drifted 45 km northeast of its intended path. While attempting a left-hand turn within the cloud layer, the crew did not maintain sufficient altitude. At 980 metres, the aircraft struck trees and crashed onto the slope of Mt Masim, which has an elevation of 1,040 metres. All 16 occupants were successfully rescued, though three passengers sustained injuries.
Findings
- The crew failed to adhere to the prescribed departure route.
- The aircraft deviated significantly from its planned course due to a lack of navigational adherence.
- Low cloud cover and deteriorating weather contributed to the loss of situational awareness regarding altitude.