What happened
On a flight path approximately 65 nautical miles west of the Namibian coastline, two military aircraft collided in mid-air. The first aircraft, a German Air Force Tupolev 154M (registration 11+02), was operating as flight GAF074. The aircraft had departed Niamey, Niger, at 10:35 UTC, with a planned route toward Cape Town, South Africa, including a scheduled refueling stop in Windhoek. Onboard the German aircraft were 14 passengers and 10 crew members.
The second aircraft, a US Air Force Lockheed C-141B Starlifter, registration 65-9405, was operating as call sign REACH 4201. This aircraft had recently completed a delivery of humanitarian aid to Windhoek and was en route to the United States via Ascension Island. The C-141B departed Windhoek at 14:11 UTC with 9 crew members on board.
At 15:10 UTC, both aircraft were flying at 35,000 feet (FL350) when they collided. The impact caused both planes to crash into the ocean. The accident resulted in 33 fatalities, representing the total number of occupants on both aircraft.
Findings
Investigations into the collision revealed significant discrepancies in altitude and communication. While the Tupolev 154M was intended to fly at FL390, it remained at its initial assigned altitude of FL350. Simultaneously, the C-141B was also operating at FL350. The aircraft were flying at the same altitude during the collision.
Communication gaps between air traffic control centers also played a role. Windhoek ATC maintained continuous contact with the C-141B but had no information regarding the position of the Tupolev 154M. While Luanda ATC was in contact with the German aircraft, they were not communicating with the US Air Force flight. Furthermore, although Luanda ATC had received flight plans for both aircraft, they had only received a departure notification for the C-141B.