Incident Overview
Date: Monday 27 November 1989
Aircraft Type: Lockheed L-100-20 Hercules
Owner/operator: Tepper Aviation Inc
Registration Number: N9205T
Location: near Jamba Airport (JMB) –
ÿ Angola
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Component Affected: AircraftAircraft
Category: Accident
A Tepper Aviation aircraft carrying a CIA mission to provide weapons to the UNITA guerrilla forces crashed while approaching Jamba Airport at night. The aircraft was flying at a low altitude to evade MPLA radar detection, and the runway was poorly maintained with dirt and minimal lighting.A Tepper Aviation aircraft carrying a CIA mission to provide weapons to the UNITA guerrilla forces crashed while approaching Jamba Airport at night. The aircraft was flying at a low altitude to evade MPLA radar detection, and the runway was poorly maintained with dirt and minimal lighting.
Description
The aircraft, flown by Tepper Aviations chief, reportedly was carrying out a flight on behalf of the CIA to provide the Angolan UNITA guerrilla forces with weapons. It crashed while coming in to land at Jamba. These flights were flown at night at a very low altitude to avoid MPLA radar detection. The runway at Jamba was dirt, the approach was over trees, and the portable runway lighting was probably marginally adequate.
Primary Cause
Low-altitude flight and avoidance of radar detection by the MPLA.Low-altitude flight and avoidance of radar detection by the MPLA.Share on:
