Accident Details
The accident occurred during the takeoff roll from runway 02. At a speed of about 100 km/h, the aircraft became unstable. The pilot-in-command attempted to take off twice, but the aircraft failed to respond. Twelve seconds later, the captain decided to abandon the takeoff procedure, but this decision was made too late as only 300 metres of runway remained. Unable to stop, the aircraft crossed the boundary fence and then a motorway, where it collided with several vehicles before coming to rest and bursting into flames. All three crew members were killed, as were seven people on the ground. Ten other people on the ground were seriously injured.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The official investigation determined that the probable cause was a wrong takeoff configuration by the crew. The following contributing factors were identified:
- Lack of crew training
- Poor crew resource management
- Pressure on the crew due to the imminent closure of the airport because of a presidential visit
- The crew's failure to follow published procedures
- A possible failure of the stabilizers
- Poor operations supervision on the part of the operator
- Late decision by the crew to reject the takeoff