Gaborone - Matsieng
Flight / Schedule
Gaborone - Matsieng
Aircraft
Beechcraft 200 Super King AirRegistration
A2-MBM
MSN
BB-1489
Year of Manufacture
1994
Operator
Major Blue AirDate
March 23, 2019 at 08:20 PM
Type
CRASHFlight Type
Illegal (smuggling)
Flight Phase
Flight
Crash Site
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Crash Location
Matsieng Kgatleng District
Region
Africa • Botswana
Coordinates
-24.3558°, 26.0910°
Crash Cause
Human factor
Narrative Report
On March 23, 2019 at 08:20 PM, Gaborone - Matsieng experienced a crash involving Beechcraft 200 Super King Air, operated by Major Blue Air, with the event recorded near Matsieng Kgatleng District.
The flight was categorized as illegal (smuggling) and the reported phase was flight at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.
1 people were known to be on board, 1 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.
Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.
The listed crash cause is human factor. Earlier in the afternoon the pilot was an uninvited guest at a private function that was held at the Matsieng Flying Club facility at Matsieng Aerodrome. In a statement, the Matsieng Flying Club reported that it was rumored that the pilot was involved in a domestic dispute earlier in the afternoon. At 2015LT the aircraft approached Matsieng Aerodrome from the direction of Sir Seretse Khama Airport and made a number of low level fly passes from different directions past the Club facilities next to the Air Traffic Control tower. An immediate evacuation of the club premises was ordered. The final extreme low level run by the aircraft along runway 36 resulted in an impact with the Matsieng Flying Club facility at ground level. The Club facility and Matsieng ATC tower was destroyed on impact. The post impact fire destroyed 13 parked vehicles. The emergency services of the Kgatleng District Council were on the scene within minutes to attend to the post-impact fire and distress. These response actions are to be commended. It is believed that the pilot had no permission to fly the aircraft involved. Sole on board, he was killed.
Aircraft reference details include registration A2-MBM, MSN BB-1489, year of manufacture 1994.
Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -24.3558°, 26.0910°.
Fatalities
Total
1
Crew
1
Passengers
0
Other
0
Crash Summary
Earlier in the afternoon the pilot was an uninvited guest at a private function that was held at the Matsieng Flying Club facility at Matsieng Aerodrome. In a statement, the Matsieng Flying Club reported that it was rumored that the pilot was involved in a domestic dispute earlier in the afternoon. At 2015LT the aircraft approached Matsieng Aerodrome from the direction of Sir Seretse Khama Airport and made a number of low level fly passes from different directions past the Club facilities next to the Air Traffic Control tower. An immediate evacuation of the club premises was ordered. The final extreme low level run by the aircraft along runway 36 resulted in an impact with the Matsieng Flying Club facility at ground level. The Club facility and Matsieng ATC tower was destroyed on impact. The post impact fire destroyed 13 parked vehicles. The emergency services of the Kgatleng District Council were on the scene within minutes to attend to the post-impact fire and distress. These response actions are to be commended. It is believed that the pilot had no permission to fly the aircraft involved. Sole on board, he was killed.
Cause: Human factor
Occupants & Outcome
Crew On Board
1
Passengers On Board
0
Estimated Survivors
0
Fatality Rate
100.0%
Known people on board: 1
Operational Details
Schedule / Flight
Gaborone - Matsieng
Operator
Major Blue AirFlight Type
Illegal (smuggling)
Flight Phase
Flight
Crash Site
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Region / Country
Africa • Botswana
Aircraft Details
Similar Plane Crashes
Air Botswana
Britten-Norman Islander
En route, the pilot encountered technical problems and made an emergency landing in an uninhabited area located 128 km north of Maun, about 40 km north of Xakanaxa. All nine occupants were rescued while the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Wenela Air Services
Douglas DC-4
Shortly after a night takeoff from Gaborone-Seretse Khama Airport, the crew encountered problems with all four engines that lost power and backfired. Unable to gain sufficient height, the aircraft struck tree tops, stalled and crashed in flames 3,600 meters past the runway end, two minutes after liftoff. A crew member and five passengers were rescued while 78 other occupants were killed. Most of the passengers were employees of South African Mining Company returning home.
Tidewater Marine Services
Beechcraft 200 Super King Air
The twin engine airplane departed New Orleans-Moisant in the evening for a local test flight. In unknown circumstances, it went out of control and crashed in water near Ruddock, about 16,7 miles northwest of Moisant Airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all five occupants were killed.
Alpha Flug
Beechcraft 200 Super King Air
The twin engine airplane was engaged in an ambulance flight from Burgas to Stuttgart on behalf of the German Air Rescue Service (Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht - DRF), carrying one German patient aged 63, three medical staff and two pilots. During initial climb, the crew contacted ATC and reported technical problems with the automatic pilot system. Shortly later, control was lost and the airplane crashed in an open field. The airplane was totally destroyed upon impact and all six occupants were killed. The exact cause of the autopilot system failure remains unknown. Nevertheless, it was reported that both pilots were intoxicated at the time of the accident, with an alcohol level of 0,48‰ et 0,37‰ respectively.
Barney S. Cam
Beechcraft 200 Super King Air
On final approach by night, the pilot encountered limited visibility due to local patches of fog. He decided to descend below the MDA when the twin engine airplane struck power cables and crashed about a mile short of runway threshold. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot, sole on board, was killed.
Botswana Defence Force - Air Wing
Britten-Norman Islander
