Plane down in Zambia

[Beeech19]

Just heard a small plane went down in Zambia's lower Zambezi today.

Any news guys??

[Flying Bean]

Sad to report it is the Star of Africa C206. I crew, 2 pax.
It has been missing now for 48 hrs which does not bode well as it is a relatively small area. Really hoping for a good result but the Escarpment is bad news.
I am not in Lusaka at the moment so not completely current.
The pilot is one of the Stabo guys. Dont want to release the name yet.
Friends can PM me.

UPDATE AT NOON

Still no news. Searching in Zim and the whole length of the escarpment. Reg 9J - CHI. The route was Lusaka to Royal.
(25 Min flight). The weather was overcast on the day with cloud on the escarpment. Normally in those conditions we head South and go throught the gap at Maastock or sometimes over the top into Zim over Mana Pools. There is normally a gap there. That expalians why the search area is now so wide.
Still hoping but after such a long time it does not look good.

[Mukosha]

Just heard that the plane has been found on the Zim side opposite the Cheifteness' palace. Still awaiting permission from the Zim authorities to go over and search for survivors. Though it doesnt look good, if they had made it I would imagine they would have been able to make contact with someone by now.:{

[Beeech19]

Lets hope for the best guys.

The pilot was a real gentleman is Zambian aviation...:(

[bleeeedson]

please, if at all possible could everybody keep me updated, as the two pax are family of my close mates in south africa.

we are very worried about them.

thanking you in advance

[Flying Bean]

Despite two different report over the weekend, some quite detailed, the situation as at 1400 hours on Sunday was that the aircraft has NOT yet been found. The reports all came from Zimbabwe, with at least two differing crash sites, but there is no confirmation from S&R at Lusaka.
Pilots & Pax names have not been officially published yet so I must hold back on that.
I will post as soon as we hear more and I expect to be in Lusaka on Tuesday.

[itchy kitchin]

Heard this morning that the aircraft has been found on the escarpment apperently close to the direct track to Royal. Sadly no news about the Pilot or Pax.

The terrain and vegetation is quite inhospitable in some parts there. Myself and a colleague were involved in the search, but as was noted, a search aircraft could fly around that area many times and not spot anything.

From what i gather, the reports that the aircraft was found in Zim relate to an old crash site from many years ago (so I hear). Easy to understand how the mixed reports happened.

Lets hope that some lessons are learnt and that a tragedy like this can be avoided in the future.

[Flying Bean]

Yes. I got the same report this morning, but was waiting for more information. But I fear that Itchy is correct as he is pretty much on the scene.
I heard it was the hill directly behind Kayila which is slightly West of Royal. There is a tempting valley there that heads direct down to Royal.
The Pilot was definately one of the more experienced flyers on the route which makes it all the more sad and puzzling. But as we have seen so many times on this forum - Weather and Mountains................

Sorry - no critism implied in this post. Lets see what the investigation brings.

[AlternativeProcedure]

itchy kitchin check your PM's

[Flying Bean]

It is confirmed. Wreckage found on the mountainside behind Kayila.
No survivours. They are extracting the bodies today. The terrain is too rough and steep for a chopper so it is being done on foot. Apparently the wreckage is quite widely scattered indicating quite a high speed CFIT, but that is speculation.
A Caravan took off from Royal shortly before and apparently did talk to the pilot about the weather conditions.

Itchy - I dont know if you have anything more to add. I am not really close to the situation. You or I can post the Pilots name once it is in the Press.

So sad. Condolences to the Family and friends.

[itchy kitchin]

No more to add.
A very sad episode for Zambian aviation.

[Flying Bean]

Just to wrap up this sad tale. The pilot was Cpt Rank Ngandu. He was a regular pilot of Stabos Baron in past seasons.Did not know him well but he was a fine gentleman and ever courteous with his pax and fellow crew members. Sorely missed.
The Funeral was yesterday.

[mebro]

Very sad to hear the loss of Capt. Rank. Condolosences to his family.

Many a wonderful meetings with Capt. Rank in Lusaka about various things and I always enjoyed catching up with him.

Hard !!!! ..condolosences to the pax family as well.

Regards
Raj

[Carrier]

First, my condolences to the relatives of the victims and to the operator.
Next, there is more to add. I am dismayed at the excessive time it took to locate the downed aircraft. Although it would not have changed the outcome in this case, the relatives and operator were kept in suspense for an unnecessarily long timeframe. What if there had been any injured survivors who needed medical attention? What can be learnt from this and what should be done in future to mitigate the effects of such incidents on any survivors and for relatives? Rest assured, it will happen again, particularly while single-engined aircraft are permitted to carry fare-paying passengers over hostile terrain, in IMC, at night, or over water out of glide range of land. Let’s do something to improve the chances of any survivors.
As a Canadian, I must point out that most aircraft operating in Canada are required to carry an Emergency Locator Transmitter. Was there a functioning ELT in the C206? I suggest that if the downed aircraft had been so equipped and the ELT functioned after the crash its location probably would have been established by the afternoon of the crash. If a helicopter is unable to land is there no capability available in the military or elsewhere for paramedics and other rescue specialists to parachute in or be winched down to a crash site? Readers should review the threads on both PPRuNe and www.avcanada.ca regarding the Sonic Blue C208 Caravan crash in IMC near Port Alberni, British Columbia on 21 January 2006. Although the C208 pilot was able to declare an emergency to ATC as against there being no such contact in this crash, I submit that the presence of a working ELT in the C206 would have lead to a relatively speedy location of the downed aircraft and avoided any waste of time and effort searching areas far away from where it actually was. For further information refer to SAR 3.0 of TC AIM (Transport Canada, Aeronautical Information Manual). This is available on-line at the Transport Canada Civil Aviation website.
Next, if there are survivors, injured or not, what survival equipment is required to be carried in Zambian registered aircraft? I believe it is a fair comment that at present aircraft operating in Zambia normally carry just a very basic first aid kit and an axe. Some pilots carry their own Swiss Army Knife or Leatherman tool that would probably be of use in a survival situation. I suggest this is inadequate. The medical kit should be of the level specified by Dr. Brent Blue on www.avweb.com and other survival equipment pertinent to the terrain and climate should be carried. Again I refer to the Canadian examples in the AIR ANNEX of TC AIM, SAR 4.8.2 of TC AIM, CARs 602.61, 602.62 and 603.63, and the survival equipment recommended in that excellent book Bush Pilot by Pierre Rivest (available in French and English versions).
For those with inadequate or too expensive Internet access, I have a spare copy of the October 2005 issue of TC AIM and will leave it at Briefing in Lusaka when next passing through. Feel welcome to look at the sections I have mentioned, and any others of interest, but please leave it there for others to peruse.
Readers familiar with AIP Zambia will realise that it does not adequately cover many current safety and operational issues, including those mentioned above. Indeed, the AIP does not appear to have received a proper update since Imperial Airways flying boats used to land above Victoria Falls. The official requirements should be amended to cover such equipment as ELT, adequate medical kit and suitable survival gear and tools. However, I suggest that instead of just amending one small section and leaving the others as inadequate as before, now is the time to consider replacing the whole of the aviation regulations with something that is current and pertinent. This is what Canada and the USA did in the 1980s. The resulting FAA and TC regulations (FARs and CARs), which are deliberately similar to facilitate cross-border operations, are practical and pertinent (as against the obstructive and bureaucratic European regulations). They work well for what are without question the two biggest aviation countries in the world and who between them have about 50% of worldwide aviation traffic. Other countries have adopted these regulations as their own. An example is Jamaica, where I flew commercially in 2001. Jamaica adopted the CARs (Canadian Aviation Regulations) en bloc, basically replacing the name Canada with Jamaica and making a few minor changes (not too many ski planes in Jamaica, mon!). This was done with the full assistance of Canada and there were even two Canadians employed in the Jamaica CAA’s Head Office in Kingston to facilitate the change-over. I suggest that Zambia’s DCA should take the same action and adopt new aviation regulations based on the FARs or CARs without delay. Canada is a major aid donor to Zambia and I expect it would not only agree to and encourage the use of the CARs, as it did with Jamaica, but would also actively assist with and help finance such a change. Zambia would then have aviation regulations that are current, pertinent and that fit in with the majority of worldwide aviation. Its aircraft would also be better equipped and safer. I am sure many readers will agree that this applies also to neighbouring countries. Persuade a few more African countries to get on board with this and we would soon have modern, functional and consistent aviation laws and regulations and safer aircraft throughout Africa instead of the plethora of outdated junk that is either irrelevant or has far too many loop-holes available for the less conscientious operators.
This has been a very sad event. We should all not just accept it and carry on as before. Let’s use it as the trigger to improve aviation safety and regulations in this part of the world.

[NdekePilot]

Carrier, You are quite correct that perhaps Zambia should update it's requirements with regard to aviation safety within the country. Unfortunately Zambia does not have the budgetary capabilities of the US or Canada...or Jamaica for that matter....nor the huge aviation sector of those countries to support it. The Zambian DCA simply do not have the financial clout nor the manpower to do all that ideally should be done, despite their best efforts. Some of the recent accidents in Zambia have been down to totally unforseeable events, such as last year's C210 prop separation, but others seem to be down to a lack of aircraft systems knowledge or poor judgement, the gear up landing of a Baron at Jeki for instance. It is my own humble opinion of course, but Zambia has a small, but mostly safe aviation community with very little of that "gung ho" attitude of other countries not a million miles away, and the majority of the pilots are long established in the country with excellent track records. But I sometimes wonder at the the guys and gals who happily jump into a single engine aircraft and head off into inclement weather, allowing themselves to become IMC with no letdown aids at the other end, expecting to find a tempting valley or a hole in the clouds, or launch for that long single engine at night flight. A good look at the Muchinga Escarpment during the day looking for potential clearings with which to make a forced landing in the dark should cure most people of the desire to fly single engine at night!! There have been a whole spate of accidents in the country in recent years where alongside ageing aircraft, judgement appears to have been a major factor.
Most of the aircraft operating in Zambia do actually carry ELTs regardless of any requirements...or lack thereof....in the hugely outdated AIP, and the ZAF have done an admirable job on a number of occasions plucking survivors out of the bush with their Hueys. Perhaps the pilots should just take a look at themselves, sometimes, and ask if they really are as competent as they feel, or using the judgement they would expect of others, and if perhaps taking a short delay to wait for improved weather, or daylight, wouldn't be the safer option?
I'm probably going to take a pasting now for suggesting this, and hell, we've all done dumb things on occasion, if not I guess you're just not trying hard enough, but really, just take a look at some of the past incidents and think about them. There is a pilotless Musketeer in a fence in Mansa that could kick it all off....
Right, where did I leave the key for the bunker....
NP.