Last November 6, a Precision Air ATR 42 crashed into Lake Victoria as it prepared to land at Bukoba Airport in Tanzania. Authorities have confirmed 19 deaths among the 39 passengers and four crew members. Before landing, the plane encountered bad weather.
The aircraft, an ATR 42-500 with the registration 5H-PWF, was 12 years old. When the incident occurred, it was flying a domestic flight from Dar es Salaam to Bukoba.
“We have managed to save quite a number of people. When the aircraft was about 100 meters (328 feet) in midair, it encountered problems and bad weather. It was raining and the plane plunged into the water. Everything is under control,” said Kagera province police commander William Mwampaghale.
Photographs show that the entire fuselage was submerged, with only the vertical stabilizer visible above the water.
19 dead, 24 survivors
Precision Air confirmed 19 fatalities and 24 survivors in the most recent update. It is still unknown whether the victims were passengers, crew, or rescuers.
Weather conditions at that time
The weather was said to be bad at the time of the accident. The most recent Metar weather report was from 03:00 UTC, approximately 2.5-3 hours before the incident. Winds were blowing at 4 knots from 270 degrees, with scattered clouds at 1200 feet, a few Cumulonimbus clouds at 1400 feet, and broken clouds at 8000 feet.
This is an ongoing story. My heartfelt condolences go out to the families and loved ones of everyone who died in this incident.
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