06 November 2022 - Precision Air 494

Flight 494 took off from Dar es Salaam around 06:00 East Africa Time and was scheduled to land at Bukoba around 08:30 after a stopover at Mwanza. A survivor stated that the pilots had to reroute the aircraft due to the deteriorating weather and that the aircraft had to fly towards the Tanzania–Uganda border before turning back towards Bukoba. The passenger further stated that during their approach, they encountered heavy turbulence after being informed that they were to land shortly, eventually finding themselves in the lake with the plane beginning to take on water.

The aircraft crash-landed in Lake Victoria at 08:45, 1,600 ft short of the runway. Survivors stated that the front portion of the aircraft was immediately filled with a large amount of water, causing panic inside the cabin. The flight attendants then opened the emergency exits and passengers began to escape from the sinking aircraft. Photos and videos spread on social media showed the plane almost fully submerged, with only its tail section visible above the water line.

In 2023 the CAA released their preliminary report. It stated that the approach was conducted under visual flight rules in poor weather and that the flight crew ignored alerts from the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS).

On 18 January 2025, the final report into the accident was released by Tanzania's AAIB. The investigation found that the crew had failed to properly respond to EGPWS warnings until 2 seconds before impact. The report stated that the aircraft struck the water at 2° pitch down and banked 10° to the left. A failure in CRM was cited.

• Initial Approach and Decision (05:25–05:33 UTC): The Pilot in Command (PIC) repeatedly told the First Officer (F/O) to "look for the runway" in heavy rain. After failing to see it, they initially climbed to 5,500 feet. The F/O suggested diverting to Mwanza, but the PIC opted to circle back and try again.
• Early Warning (05:34 UTC): An EGPWS "TERRAIN, TERRAIN PULL UP" alert triggered at approximately 1,100 feet, but the crew took no corrective action.
• Final Descent (05:42–05:43 UTC): The F/O spotted the runway through the rain at 05:42:16, prompting the PIC to take control and disengage the autopilot.
• Rapid Sink Rate (05:43:20 UTC): A "SINK RATE, SINK RATE" warning triggered as the descent rate hit 1,700 feet per minute.
• Final Commands (05:43:35–05:43:38 UTC):
  • F/O: "Lift up Captain."
  • An EGPWS "SINK RATE PULL UP" warning followed.
  • F/O: "Pull up captain" (shouted just before impact).
• Impact: The aircraft struck Lake Victoria at 05:43:38 UTC, approximately 500 metres short of the runway

>>> DOWNLOAD<<< the Accident Report including CVR Transcript