 A DHC-5D Buffalo similar to the accident aircraft | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 27 April 1993 |
| Summary | Crashed after in-flight engine fire |
| Site | Atlantic Ocean off Gabon 0°37′05″N 9°18′46″E / 0.618135°N 9.312716°E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | de Havilland Canada DHC-5D Buffalo |
| Operator | Zambian Air Force |
| Registration | AF-319 |
| Flight origin | Lusaka, Zambia |
| 1st stopover | Brazzaville, Congo |
| 2nd stopover | Libreville, Gabon |
| Last stopover | Abidjan, Ivory Coast |
| Destination | Dakar, Senegal |
| Passengers | 25 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 30 |
| Survivors | 0 |
On the evening of 27 April 1993, a DHC-5 Buffalo transport aircraft of the Zambian Air Force crashed into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after taking off from Libreville, Gabon. The flight was carrying most of the Zambia national football team to a 1994 FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Senegal in Dakar. All 25 passengers and five crew members were killed. The official investigation concluded that the pilot had shut down the wrong engine following an engine fire. It also found that pilot fatigue and a faulty instrument had contributed to the accident.[1]