E190, en route, Bwabwata National Park Namibia, 2013

E190, en route, Bwabwata National Park Namibia, 2013

Summary

On 29 November 2013, an Embraer 190 Captain intentionally initiated a high speed descent from the previously-established FL380 cruise altitude after the First Officer left the flight deck and thereafter prevented him from re-entering. The descent was maintained to ground impact with the AP engaged using a final selected altitude below ground level. The Investigation noted that the Captain had been through some  life experiences capable of having an effect on his state of mind but in the absence of any other evidence was unable establish any motive for suicide.|Day|VMC|1209|||Aircraft Operation||Locked Flight Deck Door|Procedural non compliance, Malicious Interference|Independent|Yes|Hull loss|No|||Most or all occupants|33||No|No|Aircraft Operation, Aircraft Airworthiness|FQMA|FNLU|||||||||Into terrain|Post Crash Fire||||||||||||No|Available but ineffective|Available but ineffective||||||||||||||||19457

Description

On 29 November 2013, an Embraer 190-100IGW (C9-EMC) being operated by Mozambique Airlines (LAM), on a scheduled passenger flight from Maputo, Mozambique to Luanda, Angola as LAM 470 and cruising at FL380 in day VMC in Botswana airspace was suddenly put into a descent without any communication with ATC. This descent continued on the flight plan track until terrain impact in the Bwabwata National Park in the Eastern Kavango district of neighbouring Namibia. No distress calls were made and no signal was transmitted from the ELT after the crash. The wreckage was not located until the following day when it was found that impact and a post crash fire had destroyed the aircraft. None of the 33 occupants survived.

Investigation

An Investigation was carried out by the Namibia Directorate of Aircraft Accident Investigation (DAAI). A brief Preliminary Report was released on 18 December 2013 and ongoing progress was detailed in an Interim Report released on 1 December 2014.

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