What happened
On June 26, 1998, at approximately 19:40Z, a Beechcraft King Air 200, registered as ZS-MSL, crashed while performing a flight leg between Lome, Togo, and Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. The aircraft, operated by Federal Air CC, was the final sector of a journey that had begun in Luanda, Angola. During the approach to Abidjan Airport, the aircraft disappeared from radar contact. The wreckage was subsequently located in a forested area situated northeast of the airport.
The investigation
Following the accident, authorities in Cote d’Ivoire invited South Africa, as the state of registry, to participate in the inquiry. Two investigators traveled to Abidjan on June 30, 1998, to examine the circumstances of the crash. The investigation reviewed the flight path, meteorological conditions at the time of the accident, and the aircraft's final moments before impact. At the time of the crash, visibility was reduced due to haze, with scattered clouds at a high base and light winds.
Findings
All eight occupants (the pilot and seven passengers) were killed in the accident. The investigation determined that the aircraft entered a descending left-hand turn during the approach. The primary factor contributing to the accident was spatial disorientation of the pilot, which prevented the recovery of the aircraft from its descending flight path.