What happened
On the day of the accident, an Antonov 2 was performing routine bird dispersal operations at the White Nile Scheme. The aircraft had been operating out of the Um-galala airstrip for five days, completing seven similar missions during that period. These nightly flights typically commenced approximately ten minutes before sunset and lasted roughly 50 minutes.
During the mission in question, the aircraft departed at approximately 15:45 UTC. The landing area had been prepared by the captain, who positioned ten lamps along the edges of the runway. However, the red lamp intended to mark the start of the airstrip was missing because of a depleted battery. The night was characterized by heavy darkness and an absence of moonlight.
As the aircraft returned to the airstrip, it was observed flying over the runway at an altitude of approximately 25 meters before executing a left turn. During a subsequent approach, the aircraft flew over the left row of lamps at a height of roughly 10 meters. While attempting a sharp left turn, the aircraft descended rapidly and crashed east of the airstrip, triggering a fire. The pilot sustained fatal injuries.
At the time of the incident, the aircraft was displaying the Polish registration SP-WMH, though it was officially registered as ST-AUS as of July 2009.
Findings
- The landing area lighting was incomplete due to a non-functional red lamp.
- Low visibility conditions contributed to the difficulty of the approach, as the night was dark with no moonlight.
- The aircraft's low altitude during the final maneuvers preceded the impact.