Cessna 406 Caravan

Historical safety data and incident record for the Cessna 406 Caravan aircraft.

Safety Rating

9.9/10

Total Incidents

15

Total Fatalities

16

Incident History

July 20, 2025 2 Fatalities

Bayswater Road Aerial Surveys

May 3, 2024 3 Fatalities

Air Excel

Sasakwa Mara Region

While taking off from runway 12/30 at Sasakwa Airfield, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed, bursting into flames. All six occupants were injured, some seriously, and the aircraft burnt out.

April 3, 2008 2 Fatalities

Auric Air

Mwanza Mwanza Region

The crew consisting of one instructor and one pilot under supervision departed Mwanza for a local training flight with approaches and touch-and-go manoeuvres. Shortly after takeoff from runway 12, while climbing to an altitude of 800 feet, the twin engine aircraft rolled to the right then entered a right turn and an uncontrolled descent before crashing on the top of a small hill located 890 metres from the runway 30 threshold. The aircraft was totally destroyed and both pilots were killed, a British instructor and an Australian citizen pilot under training.

Fugro Airborne Surveys

Entebbe Central

The crew was scheduled to perform a geophysical survey flight for the government of Uganda between Entebbe and Masindi. Shortly after takeoff from Entebbe Airport runway 17, while climbing to a height of about 1,500 metres, the twin engine aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in an open field. Both occupants were killed and the aircraft was destroyed.

Regional Air Services

Arusha Arusha Region

The aircraft was taking off for a scheduled flight from Arusha to Seronera. At 12:15 hours the aircraft taxied from the apron to the threshold of runway 27 at which point take off for Seronera was initiated. The controller, who was handling the flight, said that the initial segment of the take off roll was normal. When the aircraft had covered about 500 metres he saw the left main landing gear collapsing and the aircraft swinging to the left of the runway. It continued to run on its belly pod on a grass hedge parallel to runway 27 and came to rest at the eastern edge of the apron. There was no fire and all the occupants deplaned without injuries. The aircraft sustained damage to propellers, the right wing, the fuselage and underside structure. The cargo pod in the belly was completely destroyed and its debris was scattered along the wreckage trail.

October 22, 2004 1 Fatalities

Highland Airways

Inverness Inverness-shire

The aircraft and its commander were concluding the fifth sector of the day when, shortly after starting a descent for Inverness, the aircraft’s rate of descent became unsteady and it started to turn left. The available evidence indicated that the aircraft struck the ground in a steep, left, spiral dive. The extreme fragmentation of the wreckage suggested a high impact speed, probably in the region of 350 kt. Major airframe and powerplant failures were discounted but otherwise, there was insufficient evidence to draw firm conclusions about the reasons for the sudden deviation from controlled flight and secondly, the absence of any evidence consistent with an attempt to recover from the dive. Two safety recommendations made recently to the EASA concerning flight recorders were re-iterated.

August 17, 2003 2 Fatalities

Hageland Aviation Services

Barrow Alaska

The certificated airline transport pilot, with one non-revenue passenger, departed in the twin engine turboprop airplane from a rural airport on a CFR Part 135, VFR cargo flight over ocean waters. The flight did not reach its destination, and was reported overdue. Search personnel searched along the airplane's anticipated route of flight, over ocean waters. Shortly after initiation of the search, airborne search personnel reported sighting floating debris, consisting of what appeared to be aircraft seats, cardboard boxes, and small portions of aircraft wreckage, about 30.5 miles southwest of the flight's departure airport, and about 10 miles from shore. The airplane is presumed to have sunk in ocean waters estimated to be between 50 and 70 feet deep. Underwater search and recovery efforts were unsuccessful, and the airplane, pilot, and passenger remain missing. A review of archived radar data disclosed that as the accident airplane approached an area about 30.5 miles southwest of the departure airport, it descended to 500 feet msl, and then entered a right turn. As the turn progressed, the airplane continued to descend to 400 feet msl, with a radar-derived ground speed of 180 knots. The last radar return was recorded with the same radar-derived groundspeed, on an approximate heading of 200 degrees. A pilot who is familiar with geographical locations in the area reported that migrating whales are commonly sighted in the area where the radar depicted a descending right turn.

Tanzanair - Tanzanian Air Services

Muyowosi-Murungu Kigoma Region

The aircraft was operating a charter flight to carry a party of hunters to Muyowasi-Murungu Airstrip. It took off from Dar es Salaam at 06:00 with one pilot and nine passengers. It was also carrying a load of supplies for the Muyowosi hunting camp. The flight to destination was uneventful and the runway was in sight at 08:14 hours. On reaching the runway the aircraft was too high and the pilot had to lower the nose for descent to flaring height. When the aircraft was finally flared, it gained speed and floated for much of the way down the runway. After covering about two-thirds of the runway length the brakes became effective and the aircraft swerved to the right. On crossing the right edge of the runway it collided with stumps and trees as it rolled in the bush parallel to the runway centerline. As it did so the nose landing gear struck a stump and collapsed, causing both propellers to strike the ground. The aircraft finally came to rest a short distance beyond the right end of the runway. There was fuel spillage but fire did not brake out.

November 2, 2001 3 Fatalities

Transafrican Aviation

Johannesburg-Oliver Reginald Tambo (Jan Smuts) Gauteng

The aircraft departed Johannesburg International Airport at 0119Z on an international cargo flight to Eros, an aerodrome located on the outskirts of Windhoek the capital of Namibia. There were two pilots and a passenger onboard the aircraft as well a substantial amount of cargo, consisting mainly of express freight parcels and two heavy steel bars approximately 3 metres in length each. The aircraft crashed approximately 106 seconds after commencing its take-off roll, impacting the ground in a left wing low attitude approximately 700 metres South of the threshold of runway 03R at Johannesburg International Airport in a marshy area. All three occupants onboard were fatally injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Sociedad de Aviaçao Ligeira - SAL

Benguela Benguela

Upon touchdown at Benguela-General Deslandes Airport, the nose gear collapsed. The airplane slid on its nose for few dozen metres before coming to rest. All five occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

April 24, 1996 1 Fatalities

Tanzanair - Tanzanian Air Services

Morogoro Morogoro

The aircraft was operating a company charter flight. It took off from Dar es salaam International airport at 0418 hrs for a flight to Morogoro where it was to pick passengers destined for Tabora. The pilot was the oni y occupant. At 0419:49 hrs 5H-TZD passed to the Dar Control Tower his estimates for TMA as 0439 hrs and Morogoro 0449 hrs. At 0425:13 hrs the aircraft reported to be maintaining flight level 60 and the Dar es Salaam Approach (which was then combined with the Tower advised him to maintain FL060 and to report on checking the TMA boundary. Subsequent to this and at about the same time 5H-TZD contacted the Military base located at Ngerengere on 118.25 MHz and requested permission to transit the Military area (HT) P6 (A) UNLI/GND. Permission was not granted because the area was active. (The pilot subsequently advised Ngerengere that he was to proceed to Morogoro by flying south of the Prohibited Area. The last communication between the aircraft and Ngerengere took place at 0439 hrs when the aircraft was south of Ngerengere. At 0440.08 hrs 5H-TZD called on 118.3 MHz (the Dar es Salaam Tower frequency) advising that he was transmitting blind and revised the TMA estimate to 0441 hours FL60. The ETA for Morogoro was a1so revised to 0451 hours. He was to call on Top of Descent. At 0440:31 hrs the Dar Tower acknow1edged the transmission. Subsequent to this a sound which resembled a series ot clicks of the mike was heard in the Dar Tower. There was no further Communication between 5H-TZD and the Dar es Salaam Tower. At 0850 hrs the owner of the aircraft telephoned the Dar es salaam Control Centre to alert that 5H-TZD had not landed at Morogoro. The Dar ACC instituted an ALERT PHASE and activated the Rescue Coordination Centre. The wreckage of this aircraft was discovered by villagers on top of Palapala mountains on 5 May 1996. The search and rescue effort took 11 days because of adverse weather conditions, the thick tropical vegetation at the crash site and the fact that the route of the aircraft was not known.

Tawakal Airlines

Nairobi-Wilson Nairobi City District

Crashed in unknown circumstances at Nairobi-Wilson Airport. There were no casualties.

Tawakal Airlines

Nairobi-Wilson Nairobi City District

Shortly after takeoff from Nairobi-Wilson Airport runway 14, while climbing, the pilot's window opened. Distracted, the pilot lost control of the airplane that lost height and struck a concrete wall located past the runway end. It lost height, struck the ground, lost its undercarriage and slid for about 400 metres before coming to rest. All three occupants escaped with minor injuries and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

J. G. Abdi

Nairobi-Wilson Nairobi City District

Shortly after takeoff from Nairobi-Wilson Airport, while in initial climb, the front cargo door opened. The pilot landed back on runway but was unable to stop the airplane within the remaining distance. The aircraft overran and eventually came to rest. The pilot was unhurt and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. Sole on board, the pilot was completing a cargo flight.

Safety Profile

Reliability

Reliable

This rating is based on historical incident data and may not reflect current operational safety.

Primary Operators (by incidents)

Tanzanair - Tanzanian Air Services2
Tawakal Airlines2
1
Air Excel1
Auric Air1
Bayswater Road Aerial Surveys1
Fugro Airborne Surveys1
Hageland Aviation Services1
Highland Airways1
J. G. Abdi1