Second Preliminary Report of an Investigation Blames Pilot Error For Tanzania Plane Crash into Lake Victoria.

A Precision Air plane has crashed into Lake Victoria in Tanzania while attempting to land at an airport during bad weather in November 2022. A Second preliminary report of an investigation into the crash indicates pilots failed to heed warnings from an automatic alarm system.

• Passenger flight PW 494 from Dar-Bukoba-Mwanza crashed into Lake Victoria before landing at Bukoba airport
• The ATR 42-500 aircraft had 53 people on board (49 passengers), Registration number was 5H-PWF
• The death toll in the plane crash in Tanzania shot up to at least 19 people.
• "the excessively high descent rate" was "not followed by corrective action by the flight crew"

Earlier, the First preliminary report preliminary report prepared by the Ministry of Works and Transport (Transport), Aircraft Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) dated 2nd january 2023 had stated ,

However, it appears that the PIC was commited to land at Bukoba. Marginal visibility caused high workload among the crew and may have contributed to the failure to react to terrain warningsduring the final approach.

The fatal crash killed Nineteen occupants on 6 November, as the plane made an attempt to land in the lakeside town of Bukoba amid storms and heavy rain.

• The circumstances of the accident show that the flight crew encountered poor weather conditions which had not been expected at the commencement of the flight.
• The weather was good for almost the entire flight but it changed into rain and violent thunderstorms with Cumulonimbus (CBs) when the aircraft was only five minutes from the destination airport.
• The flight circled around for about 20 minutes in heavy rain which caused the crew to make right and left turns in order to navigate through narrow weather windows.
• Indeed at one point the EGPWS warnings (against terrain) came on but was not heeded.

An initial report from the transport ministry painted a damning picture of the emergency services' preparedness to deal with the disaster prompting anger over the response.

President Samia Suluhu promised a formal investigation into the matter as the government distanced itself from the preliminary report.

On Thursday , a second preliminary report said a warning system that three alerts about "the excessively high descent rate" was "not followed by corrective action by the flight crew".

The report also noted that the weather condition was bad amid poor visibility, which "may have contributed to the failure to react to terrain warnings during the final approach".

Fishermen were first at the site of the crash, and spearheaded rescue efforts , the two pilots were among the dead.

Other Findings in the First Initial Report stated below points,

• There is no evidence to suggest the flight crew were not fit and healthy prior to the flight.
• The aircraft had valid Registration, Airworthiness and Release to Service Certificates, and the required scheduled maintenance had been completed.
• The weather at Bukoba was not favourable in that eventful time.
• The VFR approach was conducted in a very poor and adverse weather during the last phase of the flight.
• The crew did not react from the EGPWS warnings
• The aircraft struck the surface of the lake in a left wing low and nose-dive attitude.
• The impact with the water was consistent with high energy impact.
• The aircraft flight control responses are consistent with the flight crew inputs.