BE20 down in Mozambique
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BE20 Mozambique
Hi Guys,
Just heard some bad news. Details still sketchy:-
A privately owned King Air 200 crashed on take-off from a private strip in Mozambique. 2 crew onboard, unfortunately no survivours.
Not sure if relations etc have been informed, so I won't mention names.
I did know the Captain though. He was a great guy and a good pilot, it's just so unfortunate.
R.I.P
S.
Just heard some bad news. Details still sketchy:-
A privately owned King Air 200 crashed on take-off from a private strip in Mozambique. 2 crew onboard, unfortunately no survivours.
Not sure if relations etc have been informed, so I won't mention names.
I did know the Captain though. He was a great guy and a good pilot, it's just so unfortunate.
R.I.P
S.
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King Air 200 Down in Moz
Sad News.
King Air 200, ZS-NRW crashed yesterday afternoon near Vilankulos. Both crew were killed. (Don't want to give names because I don't think all the next of kin have been informed).
They were on an empty leg from Dugong Lodge on San Sebastian to Vilankulos. They must have crashed on or near take-off at Dugong. Details are still sketchy.
Cheers MB
King Air 200, ZS-NRW crashed yesterday afternoon near Vilankulos. Both crew were killed. (Don't want to give names because I don't think all the next of kin have been informed).
They were on an empty leg from Dugong Lodge on San Sebastian to Vilankulos. They must have crashed on or near take-off at Dugong. Details are still sketchy.
Cheers MB
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RIP Guys. Our condolences to those left behind.
Maputo - A South African light aircraft crashed late Monday in the Mozambican tourist district of Vilankulo, killing two pilots, Mozambican authorities said on Tuesday.
"The plane, a Beech 200, registration ZS-NRW, crashed at around 5pm yesterday (Monday) near the San Sebastian tourist sanctuary, killing the pilots, who were the only people on board," spokesperson Edmundo Chigenge told reporters.
He said a commission of inquiry was under way to the site about 700km north of Maputo to investigate the cause of the crash, the second of its kind in the past four months.
The plane belonged to the South African firm Ngangweni Air Charter, whose owners are based in Johannesburg, according to a South African aircraft registration website.
The previous crash, also involving a South African aircraft, happened in the northern city of Nampula in April and its two crew members were also killed.
"The plane, a Beech 200, registration ZS-NRW, crashed at around 5pm yesterday (Monday) near the San Sebastian tourist sanctuary, killing the pilots, who were the only people on board," spokesperson Edmundo Chigenge told reporters.
He said a commission of inquiry was under way to the site about 700km north of Maputo to investigate the cause of the crash, the second of its kind in the past four months.
The plane belonged to the South African firm Ngangweni Air Charter, whose owners are based in Johannesburg, according to a South African aircraft registration website.
The previous crash, also involving a South African aircraft, happened in the northern city of Nampula in April and its two crew members were also killed.
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Hi Guys,
Still not sure if names can be released yet, so I won't.
The Capt has been flying NRW for some time. He's well know in Lanseria cirlces. Apparently the co-pilot was a young student from one of the flight schools.
Heard last night that they plowed 150m off the end of the runway into the trees. The aircraft flipped over and burst into flames. Apparently there is not much left.
A realiable source said they had lined up half way down the runway and the runway was soggy.
The strip is about 800m and surrounded by bush/trees.
The Capt has been flying NRW for ages, so he knew his aeroplane. The strip is not always in good shape, but he must have flown in there once a week, at least!
I've flown with him so many times .... he was a good pilot.
S.
Still not sure if names can be released yet, so I won't.
The Capt has been flying NRW for some time. He's well know in Lanseria cirlces. Apparently the co-pilot was a young student from one of the flight schools.
Heard last night that they plowed 150m off the end of the runway into the trees. The aircraft flipped over and burst into flames. Apparently there is not much left.
A realiable source said they had lined up half way down the runway and the runway was soggy.
The strip is about 800m and surrounded by bush/trees.
The Capt has been flying NRW for ages, so he knew his aeroplane. The strip is not always in good shape, but he must have flown in there once a week, at least!
I've flown with him so many times .... he was a good pilot.
S.
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Hi Guys.
Saw the wreck today from the air. There is very little left. The aircraft is upisde down facing the runway amongst trees. Only the tail is unburned.
From most reports the pilot elected to only use 450m of the 650m runway. At the time it was also raining in the area.
Mozambique DCA also indicated that this probably won't be a long drawn out investigation.
From what I understand the aircraft was on a private flight but was returning to Vilankulos to pick up the Swazi Express (Broken down) passengers, that flight would have been a charter.
Cheers
MB
Saw the wreck today from the air. There is very little left. The aircraft is upisde down facing the runway amongst trees. Only the tail is unburned.
From most reports the pilot elected to only use 450m of the 650m runway. At the time it was also raining in the area.
Mozambique DCA also indicated that this probably won't be a long drawn out investigation.
From what I understand the aircraft was on a private flight but was returning to Vilankulos to pick up the Swazi Express (Broken down) passengers, that flight would have been a charter.
Cheers
MB
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Hi Guys,
I see News24 have released the names and more details.
Apparently the guys were on their way to Pemba to pick up a medivac. Kosta Marcandonatos and Philip van Zyl were the crew members.
Some of you may remember Kosta was involved in the accident in Botswana in 2002. I've heard his version of the story and he was lucky to be alive.
Sad week in South African aviation.
S.
I see News24 have released the names and more details.
Apparently the guys were on their way to Pemba to pick up a medivac. Kosta Marcandonatos and Philip van Zyl were the crew members.
Some of you may remember Kosta was involved in the accident in Botswana in 2002. I've heard his version of the story and he was lucky to be alive.
Sad week in South African aviation.
S.
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News24 article
Kosta's last flight a mercy one
30/06/2004
Johannesburg - Kosta Marcandonatos's last flight was to help a fellow human in desperate need.
His mother, Bettie Marcandonatos, of Sasolburg told on Wednesday how 33-year-old Kosta died in a plane crash in Vilancoulos, Mozambique on Monday.
"He knew the aircraft and the runway quite well and knew it was wet.
But, there was a man in Pemba who had broken his neck and had to get to a hospital."
The King 200-aircraft carrying Marcandonatos and 23-year-old Phillip van Zyl, an aviation instructor from the Academy for Aviation and Technology at Hoërskool Waterkloof, hit trees at high speed at the end of the runway while it was taking off.
Both men died in the crash.
It is believed the aircraft could not build up enough speed because of the runway's soft soil.
"He (Kosta) had 5 000 flying hours and knew that plane like the palm of his hand. I heard he didn't want to do the flight," his mother said.
Her son had been 'lent' to her for four years
"But, typically Kosta - I have known him like this for his whole life - he put his fellow humans first. It was a mercy flight - the man in Pemba had to get to a hospital."
Marcandatos and Van Zyl dropped six passengers and were taking off again when the accident happened.
Bettie said her son had been "lent" to her for the last four years.
He nearly died in Botswana in March 2002 when his Cessna 414 crashed with him and four passengers into a wooded area about 110km from Maun.
At the time, he told Beeld how he and one of the passengers walked 100km in 30 hours to get help, while the other three passengers remained with the wrecked plane in the hope of being saved.
Mosquitoes swarmed on them in the bitter cold at night, and by day they obtained water from elephant dung in excrutiating heat.
"It is now as if it has become very clear in my heart that the Lord says: 'You begged him from me when he was actually mine. I lent him to you for four years - he is now mine'."
30/06/2004
Johannesburg - Kosta Marcandonatos's last flight was to help a fellow human in desperate need.
His mother, Bettie Marcandonatos, of Sasolburg told on Wednesday how 33-year-old Kosta died in a plane crash in Vilancoulos, Mozambique on Monday.
"He knew the aircraft and the runway quite well and knew it was wet.
But, there was a man in Pemba who had broken his neck and had to get to a hospital."
The King 200-aircraft carrying Marcandonatos and 23-year-old Phillip van Zyl, an aviation instructor from the Academy for Aviation and Technology at Hoërskool Waterkloof, hit trees at high speed at the end of the runway while it was taking off.
Both men died in the crash.
It is believed the aircraft could not build up enough speed because of the runway's soft soil.
"He (Kosta) had 5 000 flying hours and knew that plane like the palm of his hand. I heard he didn't want to do the flight," his mother said.
Her son had been 'lent' to her for four years
"But, typically Kosta - I have known him like this for his whole life - he put his fellow humans first. It was a mercy flight - the man in Pemba had to get to a hospital."
Marcandatos and Van Zyl dropped six passengers and were taking off again when the accident happened.
Bettie said her son had been "lent" to her for the last four years.
He nearly died in Botswana in March 2002 when his Cessna 414 crashed with him and four passengers into a wooded area about 110km from Maun.
At the time, he told Beeld how he and one of the passengers walked 100km in 30 hours to get help, while the other three passengers remained with the wrecked plane in the hope of being saved.
Mosquitoes swarmed on them in the bitter cold at night, and by day they obtained water from elephant dung in excrutiating heat.
"It is now as if it has become very clear in my heart that the Lord says: 'You begged him from me when he was actually mine. I lent him to you for four years - he is now mine'."
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Another Sad Loss
Condolences to Kosta's family and friends.
Only had the pleasure of flying with him once but was a great flight and hope he watches over all our take-offs!
NT
Only had the pleasure of flying with him once but was a great flight and hope he watches over all our take-offs!
NT
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Sincere condolences to family and friends..
I watched a programme / documentary made on Kosta's accident in Botswana. Although I never met him, he seemed the kind of person I would want to be with in a situation like that. The fact that they got out of there is testament to him.
A good person.
Kosta and Phillip - RIP
I watched a programme / documentary made on Kosta's accident in Botswana. Although I never met him, he seemed the kind of person I would want to be with in a situation like that. The fact that they got out of there is testament to him.
A good person.
Kosta and Phillip - RIP
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Philip was my little brother-in-law's instructor, and were doing a stirling job as teacher. The young man really looked up to him, and his loss will be sorely felt.
Condolences to family and friends.
RIP
Condolences to family and friends.
RIP
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BE20 down in Mozambique
Geez guys - why is it that when someone screws the pooch we never admit it. One of my crews put in a CAHR to the CAA in December 2003 regarding the Beech 200 captain for doing exactly what killed him. We have known the pilot for a number of years and to say he was reckless is an understatement. Flights out of that particular strip were rotated at 65kts and climbed away at 65 kts IAS. The full length was rarely used. It is not an understatement to say that this was not an accident, but deliberate ignoring of safe practice.
This particular practice is only the tip of the iceberg as to what was going on in that airplane.
This particular practice is only the tip of the iceberg as to what was going on in that airplane.
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RSQ
That is unfortunately what appears happened, and it may be more tragic if there was possibly a steep cockpit gradient.
The local ATC and dispatch knew the Captain well and thought he was a great pilot. Unfortunately for all wrong reasons.
I was also chatting to the passengers that were dropped off and they mentioned that by the time of the take-off there was a fair amount of water lying on the runway.
Safe Flying
That is unfortunately what appears happened, and it may be more tragic if there was possibly a steep cockpit gradient.
The local ATC and dispatch knew the Captain well and thought he was a great pilot. Unfortunately for all wrong reasons.
I was also chatting to the passengers that were dropped off and they mentioned that by the time of the take-off there was a fair amount of water lying on the runway.
Safe Flying
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Am I missing something here?
I would have thought it rather sporty to attempt a takeoff in a Twin Otter using only 450 metres of a soggy bush strip but these guys were using a King Air 200?
So when it is said that the guy 'knew the aircraft like the palm of his hand' I should take that to mean that he normally got away with this sort of thing. Okay. But that would be with no tolerance for mistakes, I suppose. Here, obviously, he must have had not quite had enough performance to clear the trees at the end of the strip.
It's good to take simulator training, when a run-through of a scenario like this one can show what a crash looks like without having to go to all the trouble of having a couple of funerals. Either that or a look at the performance specs in the pilot handbook and a think about why the manufacturer wants you to use all that extra distance.
Well, sorry to hear about your loss there.
So when it is said that the guy 'knew the aircraft like the palm of his hand' I should take that to mean that he normally got away with this sort of thing. Okay. But that would be with no tolerance for mistakes, I suppose. Here, obviously, he must have had not quite had enough performance to clear the trees at the end of the strip.
It's good to take simulator training, when a run-through of a scenario like this one can show what a crash looks like without having to go to all the trouble of having a couple of funerals. Either that or a look at the performance specs in the pilot handbook and a think about why the manufacturer wants you to use all that extra distance.
Well, sorry to hear about your loss there.
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chuks
Gotta agree with you on that one. Know the capt from waaaaay back and not too happy with technique. More than one unexplained accident. Nicest human being you could know but not too confidence inspiring.
Condolences to both families......
Gotta agree with you on that one. Know the capt from waaaaay back and not too happy with technique. More than one unexplained accident. Nicest human being you could know but not too confidence inspiring.
Condolences to both families......
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It would appear that to be a "good pilot' is a dangerous thing.
Have over forty years in the industry been to many funerals of pilots who have been described as "Good Pilots". I think it is better to be "average'. Never had to go to a funeral of a pilot described as "Average".
Prospector
Have over forty years in the industry been to many funerals of pilots who have been described as "Good Pilots". I think it is better to be "average'. Never had to go to a funeral of a pilot described as "Average".
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Leave our juju tree alone, white man!
I can't be too pious about someone making a mistake, having been there a few times myself.
There's a bush strip north of Lagos called Jebba that has a village sited just off one end, with, of course, a juju tree, a great big old thing. When it came to the price for cutting down the sacred tree it was one of those, 'If you have to ask you cannot afford it.'
So one rainy day we went there with a Cessna 404, a fat co-pilot and plenty of fuel to pick up six or seven pax. The pax just kept coming, so that we ended up with all the seats filled, the nose baggage compartment full and the wing lockers full. Nigerians are not into travelling light!
I looked at the soggy laterite runway, I looked at the juju tree, which seemed to have grown a few feet since the last time I looked, and I checked the wind, which wasn't enough to be much help but was just enough to require us to take off treewards. Then I reviewed the procedures for an engine failure after takeoff, since we were at max gross. There was no point looking in the book for the takeoff numbers, since that depended on just how soggy the runway was. I too knew the airplane like the back of my hand but so what; it was a real pig on one engine! On two I figured I could avoid the tree, even if I blew the dust off a few roofs on my way over the village.
We ended up making a gentle banked turn and flying past the juju tree with both engines giving their all. If we had lost one just at rotation then I suppose, had the Force been with us, we would have been lucky to just hold tree-top height for a while until we either thought of a way out of that fix or else crashed in flames.
Nowadays I fly a small jet with simulator training, assured takeoff performance and all that other good stuff, but I got here by sticking my neck out for many flights. My fat co-pilot, a real good guy, by the way, wasn't so lucky; he died in a crash a few years ago when they went off a short runway in a jet with clapped-out engines, so that they just sort of mushed in to a slum area just past the airport boundary.
I have lost about ten people personally known to me in crashes that were down to, usually, 'pilot error'. Well, that is to say there was almost always nothing particularly wrong with the aircraft that wasn't at least known to the crew beforehand, or else nothing wrong with the aircraft at all. When it happens to someone you have flown with you begin to believe it could happen to you and modify your behaviour accordingly. But this can take a while. Some guys get the chop before they get the message.
There's a bush strip north of Lagos called Jebba that has a village sited just off one end, with, of course, a juju tree, a great big old thing. When it came to the price for cutting down the sacred tree it was one of those, 'If you have to ask you cannot afford it.'
So one rainy day we went there with a Cessna 404, a fat co-pilot and plenty of fuel to pick up six or seven pax. The pax just kept coming, so that we ended up with all the seats filled, the nose baggage compartment full and the wing lockers full. Nigerians are not into travelling light!
I looked at the soggy laterite runway, I looked at the juju tree, which seemed to have grown a few feet since the last time I looked, and I checked the wind, which wasn't enough to be much help but was just enough to require us to take off treewards. Then I reviewed the procedures for an engine failure after takeoff, since we were at max gross. There was no point looking in the book for the takeoff numbers, since that depended on just how soggy the runway was. I too knew the airplane like the back of my hand but so what; it was a real pig on one engine! On two I figured I could avoid the tree, even if I blew the dust off a few roofs on my way over the village.
We ended up making a gentle banked turn and flying past the juju tree with both engines giving their all. If we had lost one just at rotation then I suppose, had the Force been with us, we would have been lucky to just hold tree-top height for a while until we either thought of a way out of that fix or else crashed in flames.
Nowadays I fly a small jet with simulator training, assured takeoff performance and all that other good stuff, but I got here by sticking my neck out for many flights. My fat co-pilot, a real good guy, by the way, wasn't so lucky; he died in a crash a few years ago when they went off a short runway in a jet with clapped-out engines, so that they just sort of mushed in to a slum area just past the airport boundary.
I have lost about ten people personally known to me in crashes that were down to, usually, 'pilot error'. Well, that is to say there was almost always nothing particularly wrong with the aircraft that wasn't at least known to the crew beforehand, or else nothing wrong with the aircraft at all. When it happens to someone you have flown with you begin to believe it could happen to you and modify your behaviour accordingly. But this can take a while. Some guys get the chop before they get the message.
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I spoke to someone in the know who told me of the Captain's 'trick' of flying out accross the water on the way to the island and showing the pax how he could pick up spray off the water with the props! He would then pull the aircraft into the vertical over the island and as the speed bled off get into the landing configuration and bang it on the runway. After unloading the pax, her would line up half way down the runway (Short as it is!) and haul the aircraft off at 60 Kts and climb out with a ridiculous deck angle! The ground was soggy and the aircraft caught the trees.... Sad that someone had to be with him....