Lusaka – Brazzaville – Libreville – Abidjan – Dakar

On April 27, 1993 at 10:45 PM, Lusaka – Brazzaville – Libreville – Abidjan – Dakar experienced a crash involving De Havilland DHC-5 Buffalo, operated by Zambia Air Force, with the event recorded near Libreville Estuaire (Libreville).

The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

30 people were known to be on board, 30 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 5, crew fatalities: 5, passengers on board: 25, passenger fatalities: 25, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The aircraft departed Lusaka on a charter flight to Dakar with intermediate stops in Brazzaville, Libreville and Abidjan, carrying all staff of the National Zambian Football Team who was flying to Dakar to play against Senegal for the World Cup 1994 in USA. One minute after a night takeoff from Libreville-Léon Mba Airport, while climbing, the left engine failed. In a certain confusion, the captain mistakenly shut down the right engine. The aircraft lost height and crashed in the sea about 500 metres offshore. The aircraft sank and all 30 occupants were killed. It was reported that the aircraft has not been operated between December 21, 1992 and April 21, 1993 and was eventually requisitioned by the Zambian Government to carry the National Football Team to Senegal. A maintenance control (check A & B) was conducted between April 22 and 26, the day prior to departure.

Aircraft reference details include registration AF-319, MSN 69, year of manufacture 1976.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 0.3718°, 9.4608°.