Narrative:
A Boeing 737-800 passenger plane, registered 5Y-KYA, was destroyed when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Douala Airport (DLA), Cameroon. All 108 passengers and six crew members were killed in the accident.
The airplane was operated by Kenya Airways as flight KQ507 from Abidjan Airport (ABJ), Ivory Coast to Nairobi (NBO), Kenya via Douala (DLA), Cameroon. The flight from Abidjan to Douala was reportedly conducted without incident.
The flight arrived about 22:00 hours local time, May 4. The scheduled departure time of 23:00 was delayed due to weather which consisted of thunderstorms with heavy rain showers. When the weather improved, flight 507 taxied to runway 12. The aircraft took off and climbed into the dark night. There were no external visual references, yet no instrument scanning was done by the crew. At 1000 feet climbing, the pilot flying released the flight controls for 55 seconds without having engaged the autopilot. The bank angle of the airplane increased continuously by itself very slowly up to 34 degrees right and the captain appeared unaware of the airplanes changing attitude.
Just before the "Bank Angle" warning sounds, the captain grabbed the controls, appeared confused about the attitude of the airplane, and made corrections in an erratic manner increasing the bank angle to 50 degrees right.
At about 50 degrees bank angle, the autopilot was engaged and the inclination tended to stabilize; then movements of the flight controls by the pilot resumed and the bank angle increased towards 70 degrees right. A prolonged right rudder input brought the bank angle to beyond 90 degrees. The airplane descended in a spiral dive and crashed into a mangrove swamp.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The airplane crashed after loss of control by the crew as a result of spatial disorientation (non recognized or subtle type transitioning to recognized spatial disorientation), after a long slow roll, during which no instrument scanning was done, and in the absence of external visual references in a dark night.
Inadequate operational control, lack of crew coordination, coupled with the non-adherence to procedures of flight monitoring, confusion in the utilization of the AP, have also contributed to cause this situation."
Loss of control
» Kenya Airways plane crashes in Cameroon: radio (AP, 5-5-2007)
» Reconstructing the last moments of Kenya Airways Flight 507 (AP, 12-5-2007)
» Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority press release
accident date: 05-05-2007
type: Boeing 737-8AL
registration: 5Y-KYA
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Saturday 5 May 2007 |
| Time: | 00:08 |
| Type: |  Boeing 737-8AL |
| Operator: | Kenya Airways |
| Registration: | 5Y-KYA |
| MSN: | 35069/2079 |
| First flight: | 2006-10-09 (7 months) |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2100 |
| Cycles: | 734 |
| Engines: | 2 CFMI CFM56-7B26 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 108 / Occupants: 108 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 114 / Occupants: 114 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 5,5 km (3.4 mls) SE of Douala Airport (DLA) ( Cameroon)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | International Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Douala Airport (DLA/FKKD), Cameroon |
| Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO/HKJK), Kenya | |
| Flightnumber: | 507 |
A Boeing 737-800 passenger plane, registered 5Y-KYA, was destroyed when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Douala Airport (DLA), Cameroon. All 108 passengers and six crew members were killed in the accident.
The airplane was operated by Kenya Airways as flight KQ507 from Abidjan Airport (ABJ), Ivory Coast to Nairobi (NBO), Kenya via Douala (DLA), Cameroon. The flight from Abidjan to Douala was reportedly conducted without incident.
The flight arrived about 22:00 hours local time, May 4. The scheduled departure time of 23:00 was delayed due to weather which consisted of thunderstorms with heavy rain showers. When the weather improved, flight 507 taxied to runway 12. The aircraft took off and climbed into the dark night. There were no external visual references, yet no instrument scanning was done by the crew. At 1000 feet climbing, the pilot flying released the flight controls for 55 seconds without having engaged the autopilot. The bank angle of the airplane increased continuously by itself very slowly up to 34 degrees right and the captain appeared unaware of the airplanes changing attitude.
Just before the "Bank Angle" warning sounds, the captain grabbed the controls, appeared confused about the attitude of the airplane, and made corrections in an erratic manner increasing the bank angle to 50 degrees right.
At about 50 degrees bank angle, the autopilot was engaged and the inclination tended to stabilize; then movements of the flight controls by the pilot resumed and the bank angle increased towards 70 degrees right. A prolonged right rudder input brought the bank angle to beyond 90 degrees. The airplane descended in a spiral dive and crashed into a mangrove swamp.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The airplane crashed after loss of control by the crew as a result of spatial disorientation (non recognized or subtle type transitioning to recognized spatial disorientation), after a long slow roll, during which no instrument scanning was done, and in the absence of external visual references in a dark night.
Inadequate operational control, lack of crew coordination, coupled with the non-adherence to procedures of flight monitoring, confusion in the utilization of the AP, have also contributed to cause this situation."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Loss of situational awareness Loss of control
Sources:
» Kenya Airways press release» Kenya Airways plane crashes in Cameroon: radio (AP, 5-5-2007)
» Reconstructing the last moments of Kenya Airways Flight 507 (AP, 12-5-2007)
» Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority press release
Follow-up / safety actions
CCAA issued 3 Safety Recommendations
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Photos
accident date: 05-05-2007
type: Boeing 737-8AL
registration: 5Y-KYA
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 Douala Airport to Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as the crow flies is 3066 km (1916 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the official accident report.
Distance from Douala Airport to Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as the crow flies is 3066 km (1916 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the official accident report.
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.
languages: 
Cameroon
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Boeing 737-800
- 5150+ built
- 2nd loss
- 2nd fatal accident
- 2nd worst accident (at the time)
- 5th worst accident (currently)
Cameroon- The worst accident
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