What happened
The incident involved a seaplane operating out of Bathurst, Gambia. The crew was conducting a night training sortie when the accident occurred. During the approach phase, the aircraft was executing a final turn to the left to align with the runway or flare path. At this moment, the plane stalled and lost control. It subsequently crashed into the sea in a significant explosion. All nine personnel on board were killed in the impact.
Findings
Official investigations described the cause of the accident as obscure. The aircraft was turning on its circuit prior to landing when it failed. Investigators noted that the pilot had limited experience with night flying operations. Additionally, weather conditions at the time were not ideal. It is believed the pilot was in the process of making the run up the flare path to set the gyro, a standard procedure, when the stall occurred during the turn.