Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Date: | Sunday 9 February 1992 |
Time: | 05:15 |
Type: | Convair CV-640 |
Operator: | Gambcrest |
Registration: | N862FW |
MSN: | 9 |
First flight: | 1952 |
Crew: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 6 |
Passengers: | Fatalities: 26 / Occupants: 50 |
Total: | Fatalities: 30 / Occupants: 56 |
Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
Location: | near Diouloulou ( Senegal)
|
Phase: | Approach (APR) |
Nature: | Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger |
Departure airport: | Dakar-Yoff Airport (DKR/GOOY), Senegal |
Destination airport: | Cap Skirring Airport (CSK/GOGS), Senegal |
Narrative:Following takeoff from Dakar-Yoff Airport, Senegal, at 04:26 the aircraft reported over Banjul at FL70 at 04:54. The flight began its descent at 05:05 and contacted Cap Skirring Airport. It was a moonless night but with 8 km visibility. At 05:11, the pilot reported downwind and began preparations for landing although he was still 28 NM (52 km) from his destination. On short final to the site he had mistaken for the airport, the aircraft hit trees and the left wingtip broke off. The pilot tried to pull up but the aircraft struck the ground.
On July 6, 2000 a French court convicted the founder of Club Med and his son of involuntary manslaughter, handing down two suspended sentences in connection with this accident. An investigation showed that the owner of the Convair CV-640, Gambcrest, was facing major financial problems at the time. It was concluded that the accident was caused by pilot error and worsened by malfunctioning equipment. Club Med officials maintain that they are not informed of the condition of their transport vehicles. They also said they should not be held responsible for the accident, since the probe attributed it to pilot error.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: Pilot mistook the lights of a hotel for runway lights.
Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Ground
Sources:
» Air Safety Week 22 February 1993 (p. 1,3)
» ICAO Adrep Summary 2/92 (#9)
Photos
accident date:
09-02-1992type: Convair CV-640
registration: N862FW
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does
not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Dakar-Yoff Airport to Cap Skirring Airport as the crow flies is 270 km (169 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.