What happened
On 28 April 2006, a Cessna C208B, registered as ZS-ADL, crashed into a mountain at an elevation of 3,500 metres. The aircraft, operated by King Air Services on behalf of the United Nations World Food Programme, was performing a commercial cargo flight from Goma Aerodrome in the Democratic Republic of Congo to Bunja Aerodrome.
The flight departed at 0540Z and was scheduled to arrive at its destination approximately one hour and forty minutes later. However, the crew failed to arrive as planned, and the last radio communication from the aircraft was recorded at 0639Z. Following the loss of contact, search and rescue operations were initiated at 0820Z. Two days later, on 30 April 2006, the wreckage was discovered on the Ugandan side of the border, embedded against a mountain peak. The impact and subsequent fire resulted in 3 fatalities, claiming the lives of both pilots and the single passenger on board. There were 0 survivors.
The investigation
Following the accident, Ugandan authorities formed a two-member investigation team. Because the wreckage was located in Uganda, the Ugandan state assumed responsibility for the inquiry. In May 2006, this team traveled to South Africa to collaborate with the SACAA, the aircraft operator, and the Approved Maintenance Organisation (AMO) to examine the aircraft's history and maintenance records. Records indicated the aircraft had undergone its last Phase Inspection in October 2005, with the airframe having recorded 16,763.40 flying hours at that time.