Incident Overview

Date: Friday 15 September 2006
Aircraft Type: IRMA/Britten-Norman BN-2A-9 Islander
Owner/operator: Safari Express Airways
Registration Number: 5H-UNT
Location: Nangungu – ÿ Tanzania
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Substantial, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 7
Component Affected: Left main gear, left engine propeller.Left main gear, left engine propeller.
Investigating Agency: AIB TanzaniaAIB Tanzania
Category: Accident
An aircraft operated a charter flight from Klein’s Camp to Arusha, encountering a sudden and catastrophic landing due to engine failure and terrain collapse. The pilot initiated a descent, resulting in simultaneous engine shutdown, leading to a forced landing at Nangungu in Moduli. While the aircraft’s structure was largely intact, significant damage occurred to the left wing and left engine propeller, primarily due to contact with a boulder. Passengers were safely evacuated.An aircraft operated a charter flight from Klein’s Camp to Arusha, encountering a sudden and catastrophic landing due to engine failure and terrain collapse. The pilot initiated a descent, resulting in simultaneous engine shutdown, leading to a forced landing at Nangungu in Moduli. While the aircraft’s structure was largely intact, significant damage occurred to the left wing and left engine propeller, primarily due to contact with a boulder. Passengers were safely evacuated.

Description

The aircraft was operating a Safari Express Airways charter flight from Klein’s Camp to Arusha. The pilot left Arusha the previous day with 185 gallons of fuel and had a night stop in Lake Manyara after flying 5 sectors. There is no record of any refueling in between the sectors. On the next day he flew 3 sectors before the last one, the fourth between and Arusha. The pilot stated that he flew at 7500 feet from Klein’s Camp to Arusha. When initiating a descend about 11 nm from Arusha, both engines stopped simultaneously. The pilot tried to restart them but failed. He then force-landed at Nangungu in Moduli in an open field. The forced landing in uneven ground resulted in the collapse of left main gear after it contacted a boulder. The left wing consequently contacted the ground. The aircraft suffered damage only on the left wing and the left engine propeller. The passengers deplaned safely and no one was injured. Beside damage to the left wing, left engine propeller and the collapsed main gear, the aircraft cabin and the cockpit were intact. Physical inspection of the wing fuel tanks indicated that all main and tip tanks were completely empty. The investigation report did not contain a probable cause statement per ICAO Annex 13.

Primary Cause

Engine failure and terrain collapse during descent.Engine failure and terrain collapse during descent.

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