FlightFinder
Check my flight
48 fatalities

SAM-7 Missile Strike on a Four-Engine Aircraft Near Kariba (VP-WAS)

Kariba, ZimbabweTakeoff (climb)

On September 3, 1978, a Vickers Viscount (registration VP-WAS) operated by Air Rhodesia was involved in an aviation accident near Kariba, Zimbabwe during takeoff. 48 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Shot down by a Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) SAM-7 missile. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

A four-engine aircraft was hit by a SAM-7 missile shortly after departing Kariba Airport. The crash in the Whamira Hills killed 38 occupants; ZIPRA fighters later killed 10 of the 18 survivors before rescuers evacuated the remaining eight.

Incident Overview A four-engine aircraft took off from Kariba Airport at 1710 local time and was en route to Salisbury. During the climb, the crew declared an emergency after a SAM-7 missile struck the right wing. Both engines on the right side were rendered inoperable. The pilots reduced altitude and attempted an emergency landing, but the aircraft crashed in the Whamira Hills, approximately 35 km southeast of Kariba. The airframe disintegrated on impact.## Casualties and Aftermath Thirty-eight occupants were killed in the crash. Eighteen others survived the initial impact. Members of the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) reached the scene quickly and killed 10 of the 18 survivors. The following day, rescuers arrived at the crash site and evacuated the remaining eight survivors.

Probable cause

Shot down by a Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) SAM-7 missile.

Related events

Same operator

More accident analyses