Date:	Sunday 6 November 2022
Time:	08:53
Type:	ATR 42-500
Owner/operator:	Precision Air
Registration:	5H-PWF
MSN:	819
Year of manufacture:	2010
Engine model:	P&W Canada PW127M
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 19 / Occupants: 43
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	off Bukoba Airport (BKZ) -   Tanzania
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Dar es Salaam Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR/HTDA)
Destination airport:	Bukoba Airport (BKZ/HTBU)
Investigating agency:	AAIB Tanzania
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Precision Air flight 494, an ATR 42-500, came down in Lake Victoria while on final approach to Bukoba Airport (BKZ), Tanzania.
The pilot, copilot and seventeen passengers died in the accident.

The aircraft took off from Dar es Salaam at 06:10 hours Local Time and the estimated time of arrival al Bukoba was 08:25. The enroute weather was reported to be fine and the flight to Bukoba was uneventful.
The weather at Bukoba was good up to 08:20 when it abruptly changed and started raining with thunderstorms and strong winds. The reported visibility reduced from 10 km to 2 km.
The flight reached Bukoba at 08:25 to find that the weather had changed several minutes earlier. There were thunderstorms, Cumulonimbus (CBs) clouds and strong winds. According to eye witnesses the aircraft circled twice in the Bukoba area and the crew advised the passengers that the flight may have to divert to Mwanza if the weather at Bukoba did not improve.
However, on the third attempt, the runway became visible and the pilot initiated the approach to runway 31. On final approach the aircraft impacted the water of Lake Victoria. The main landing gear separated and the cabin floor was dislodged by the impact, allowing water to enter the cabin at high pressure as the aircraft decelerated before coming to a stop.

Canoes and fishermen arrived after about 5 minutes and they transferred the survivors to their boats. Two crew members and 22 passengers were rescued.

Bukoba has a single runway (13/31), 1385 m long. Distance between the shore and the runway 31 threshold is 130 meters.

Causal factor
The accident was caused by an unstabilized final approach to runway 31 of Bukoba airport conducted in poor weather conditions which did not allow clear sight of the terrain. This led the aircraft to strike the water on the lake surface.
Contributory factors
The major contributory factors were:
i. The decision of the Pilot in Command to proceed with the final approach without the required weather minima in order to reach the runway instead of diverting to Mwanza;
ii. The gusting crosswind which prevailed at the time of final approach;
iii. The heavy rain and turbulence at that material time
iv. The absence of air traffic services at Bukoba Airport
v. High rate of descent at low altitude
vi. No immediate response to the EGPWS warnings
vii. High work load to the crew at the critical phase of final approach.

Weather about the accident time (0553Z):
METAR HTBU 060400Z 27005KT 9999 SCT010 FEW012CB BKN080 20/17 Q1017=
METAR HTBU 060500Z 00000KT 9999 SCT011 FEW013CB BKN080 20/17 Q1018=
SPECI HTBU 060520Z 33010KT 2000 BKN010 FEW012CB OVC080 20/17 Q1019=
METAR HTBU 060700Z 24005KT 8000 -RA SCT012 FEW014CB BKN080 20/19 Q1019 =

twitter.com/TanzaniaInsight
Precision Air
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TCAA Statement
AAIB preliminary report

photo (c) T.Laurent; Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (TLS/LFBO); 27 August 2010

Precision Air ATR-42 (5H-PWF) at Mtwara Airport in 2011 Photo: Keith Parkinson (CC:by-sa)

Photo: AAIB Tanzania

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
09-Jul-2024 07:03	ASN	Updated [Departure airport, ]
21-Jan-2025 08:44	ASN	Updated [Narrative, Accident report, ]
27-Jan-2025 11:20	ASN	Updated [Photo, ]
27-Jan-2025 11:21	ASN	Updated [Photo, ]
28-Jan-2025 19:46	ASN	Updated
08-Jun-2025 16:20	ASN	Updated