AFRICA ( commonwealth Union ) _ The pilots of a Precision Air plane that crashed into Lake Victoria in November, killing all 19 people on board, ignored automatic alerts warning them about the plane’s dangerous position, according to Tanzanian authorities.
The crash occurred shortly after takeoff from the airport in Mwanza, a city on the shores of Lake Victoria. The aircraft, a ATR 72-600 turboprop, was en route to the capital, Dar es Salaam.
The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) released a report on Thursday, stating that the plane’s autopilot had been disengaged by the pilots and they had then failed to maintain the correct altitude and airspeed. The report also said that the crew had ignored automatic alerts from the plane’s systems, which warned them about the dangerous position of the aircraft.
The TCAA report also noted that the pilots had insufficient training and experience to handle the situation, and that the airline had failed to provide adequate oversight and training to its pilots. Precision Air, which is Tanzania’s largest airline, said it had taken steps to improve safety measures following the crash, including enhancing pilot training and updating its aircraft systems.
“We deeply regret the loss of life in this tragic accident and we are committed to learning from it and taking all necessary steps to prevent such an incident from happening again,” a spokesperson for the airline said.
The crash has raised concerns about the safety of air travel in Tanzania, where aviation accidents have been on the rise in recent years. The government has vowed to improve safety standards and increase oversight of the industry and to work to ensure that the safety of air travel in Tanzania is upheld at all times but critics say more needs to be done to prevent future tragedies.
