Cameroon Plane Crash

A plane chartered by a contractor servicing a large trans-border oil pipeline crashed in a forest in central Cameroon, killing nine passengers and two crew members. The tragic incident occurred around 2 pm on Wednesday, May 11th.

The plane that crashed on Wednesday was carrying employees of the Cameroon Oil Transportation Company, which is in charge of maintaining a hydrocarbon pipeline that runs from Cameroon to its neighboring nation Chad. 

In an initial statement, the Cameroon transport ministry says a light passenger plane containing 11 passengers crashed in a forest in central Cameroon, and rescue attempts were underway to seek probable survivors. However, it was later announced that there were no survivors.

“The 11 occupants perished; they have all been identified and recovered,” said Transport Minister Jean-Ernest Ngallé Bibehe during an inspection of the scene of the crash on Thursday evening.

The reason for the accident, as well as the identities of the people aboard, were not immediately released to the public. There are speculations that a tornado could have been the cause of the crash. “A strong wind was blowing before the crash, we believe that the bad weather conditions are at the origin of the accident,” said a police officer.

According to CRTV, no survivors were located at the Bibey subdivision after the search and rescue effort led by Albert Nanga, the prefect of the Upper Sanaga division in the Center region. In addition to the police officers, more than 200 villagers assisted in the search for the crash victims and wreckage.

Adzuayi Ewuga was one of the victims that died in the aircraft crash. Ewuga was a pilot and the daughter of former minister of state for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Solomon Ewuga.  

More Insights on the Plane Crash :

Names of those onboard were recently confirmed as Dicka Endalle Estelle, Kesseng Jean Charles, Pewite Nkwenti Serge, Tchehou Tchakounte Serge, Asu Rudolf, Baban Andre, Kouayep Armand, Ndanjo Gadinga Celetsine Tchatua Ernest. 

According to local news reports, the aircraft was flying from Yaounde Nsimalen Airport to Belabo in the country’s east when it lost radio contact with air traffic control.

Transport minister, Jean-Ernest Massena Ngallé Bibehe stated, “The air traffic services have lost radio contact with an aircraft flying from Yaounde-Nsimalen-Dompta-Belabo-Yaounde-Nsimalen on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, with 11 people on board.”

The aircraft was discovered in a forest near Nanga Eboko, about 150 kilometers northeast of the capital Yaounde, after an air and ground search.

The plane’s model has not been disclosed, however Cameroonian media reports that it was a Dash 8-Q400, a turboprop aircraft manufactured by the Canadian corporation Bombardier.

The incident is Cameroon’s first major industry tragedy since a Kenya Airways passenger plane that carried 14 people collapsed after takeoff from Douala in 2007, killing everyone on board.