UI Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW (ERJ-190AR) C9-EMC,

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 320634

Date:	Friday 29 November 2013
Time:	13:16
Type:	Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW (ERJ-190AR)
Owner/operator:	Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique - LAM
Registration:	C9-EMC
MSN:	19000581
Year of manufacture:	2012
Total airframe hrs:	2905 hours
Cycles:	1877 flights
Engine model:	General Electric CF34-10E5
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 33 / Occupants: 33
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	UI
Location:	Bwabwata National Park - Namibia
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Maputo International Airport (MPM/FQMA)
Destination airport:	Luanda Airport (LAD/FNLU)
Investigating agency:	DAAI
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
An Embraer ERJ-190 passenger plane, operating flight TM470 from Maputo, Mozambique to Luanda, Angola, crashed in the Bwabwata National Park in Namibia. The airplane was destroyed and all 27 passengers and six crew members were killed.
The flight departed Maputo at 11:26 local time (09:26 UTC) and was scheduled to land at Luanda at 14:10 local time (13:10 UTC). The airplane proceeded over Botswana at FL380 and was in contact with Gaborone ACC. At the EXEDU waypoint, about 13:09 local time (11:09 UTC), the aircraft commenced a sudden descent, which continued until the airplane impacted the ground at 11:16:26 UTC.
Minutes before the crash the co-pilot left the cockpit for the lavatory. The captain then manually changed the altitude preselector from 38,000 feet to an altitude of 4,288 feet. This was changed to 1,888 feet and then to 592 feet. The auto throttle was manually reengaged and throttle lever then automatically retarded and set to idle. The airspeed was manually selected several times until the end of the recording, which remained close to the Vmo (maximum operating limit speed). During the descent the captain used the speed brake handle to activate the spoilers.
On the cockpit voice recorder sounds were heard of someone pounding on the cockpit door.

It was discovered that the captain went through numerous life experiences ranging from uncompleted divorce process, the suspected suicide of his son on November 21, 2012 and a recent heart surgery of his youngest daughter.

Probable Cause:
The inputs to the auto flight systems by the person believed to be the Captain, who remained alone on the flight deck when the person believed to be the co-pilot requested to go to the lavatory, caused the aircraft to departure from cruise flight to a sustained controlled descent and subsequent collision with the terrain.
Contributing factors:
The non-compliance to company procedures that resulted in a sole crew member occupying the flight compartment.

Accident investigation: