Date:	Monday 9 March 2009
Time:	05:15
Type:	Ilyushin Il-76T
Owner/operator:	Aerolift
Registration:	S9-SAB
MSN:	073410301
Year of manufacture:	1977
Total airframe hrs:	8765 hours
Engine model:	Soloviev D-30KP-2
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 11
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	10 km S off Entebbe Airport (EBB) -   Uganda
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Cargo
Departure airport:	Entebbe Airport (EBB/HUEN)
Destination airport:	Mogadishu International Airport (MGQ/HCMM)
Investigating agency:	MoWT Uganda
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
An Ilyushin 76T cargo plane, registered S9-SAB, was destroyed when it crashed into Lake Victoria, shortly after takeoff from Entebbe Airport (EBB), Uganda. All four crew members and seven passengers were killed in the accident.
The IL-76 cargo plane was registered in Sao Tome and Principe as S9-SAB and operated by Aerolift Company of South Africa. It was chartered by Dynacorp International, an American company which had been contracted by the African Union peace keeping mission to Somalia, AMISON to provide logistical support.
At Entebbe the airplane was loaded with tents and water purification equipment, bound for Mogadishu, Somalia. The four crew members were Russians and the other seven persons included three senior military officers from Burundi, one Indian from Dynacorp, one South African from AMISON and two Ugandans.
At 05:06, the aircraft was cleared to take off by the Entebbe Airport Control Tower. At 05:12, the IL-76 got airborne from runway 17 and was instructed to contact Entebbe Area Control Centre (ACC). The aircraft never contacted the Entebbe ACC as instructed. At 05:14, the control tower again called the flight and there was no response.
The airplane struck the surface of Lake Victoria, broke up and burned.



PROBABLE CAUSE
The investigation was unable to determine conclusively the probable cause primarily because of the absence of substantial aircraft wreckage to examine, the lack of flight recorders to evaluate the performance of the crew and the aircraft, as well as insufficient forensic evidence.

The accident could be explained by one or a combination of a loss of engine power, aircraft malfunction of the flight controls and related systems, pilot impairment/incapacitation, spatial disorientation, inattentiveness to altitude, and inadequate handling of the aircraft.
The loss of engine power was possible based on witness accounts, a recent event in which loss of power occurred and the fact that the engines had exceeded their service life.
However, the lack of the engines to examine during the investigation precluded determination of their mechanical condition at the time of the accident.
The crew's ability to conduct flight duties under normal, abnormal, and emergency conditions was not assured because of insufficient records regarding the crew's experience, training, and certification. Also, the possibility of alcohol consumption, fatigue, insufficient sleep and lack of the required minimum crew could have contributed to degraded performance on either one or both of the pilots.

02:00 UTC / 05:00 local time:
HUEN 090200Z 25005KT 9999 FEW018 FEW020CB OVC110 21/19 Q1016=
Wind 250 deg at 5 kts, few clouds at 1,800 ft., few clouds with cumulonimbus at 2,000 ft., overcast at 11,000 ft. Temperature 21 deg C, Dew point 19 deg C

03:00 UTC / 06:00 local time:
HUEN 090300Z 35005KT 9999 FEW018 FEW020CB BKN110 21/19 Q1016=
Wind 350 deg at 5 kts, few clouds at 1,800 ft., few clouds with cumulonimbus at 2,000 ft., broken clouds at 11,000 ft. Temperature 21 deg C, Dew point 19 deg C

Plane crashes into Lake Victoria, 11 feared dead (The New Vision, 9-3-2009)
Uganda Parliament meeting Tuesday, 31 March 2009

photo (c) via Werner Fischdick; Sharjah Airport (SHJ/OMSJ); January 2004

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
16-Jul-2025 17:28	ASN	Updated [Narrative, Accident report, ]