Moremi Air Prang

Nice place if it wasn't for some of the locals
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Moremi Air Prang

#1 Post by Ex-Ascot » Wed Feb 20, 2019 3:29 pm

Relax Cape. Understand that they plonked an Airvan in this morning. Statistics balanced. First since the tragic AKD in 2011. Seems no one hurt.

For three years they had a very bad record:

1. A2-DOG Nov 2008 write off
2. A2-AFE 15 Aug 2010 write off
3. A2-PPL Nov 2010 write off
4. A2-KWA 27 Jan 2011 write off
5. A2-AEI Sep 2011 forced landing on road
6. A2-AKD Oct 2011 write off. 9 fatalities

Then they got a very good chap in whom I was instrumental in introducing to the scene here. I advised him against going to Moremi Air but he could see an opening for himself. He was more qualified and experienced than most and ex Air Force (Not RAF). He really turned things around. Is it significant that he left about a year ago?

Going into town tomorrow and will get the details. Trouble here in the Delta, with a forced landing, there is hardly anywhere to put if down that isn't marsh or water. Then, all being high wing, they flip over.
'Yes, Madam, I am drunk, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly.' Sir Winston Churchill.

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Re: Moremi Air Prang

#2 Post by Cacophonix » Thu Feb 21, 2019 11:41 am

Ex-Ascot wrote:
Wed Feb 20, 2019 3:29 pm
Relax Cape. Understand that they plonked an Airvan in this morning. Statistics balanced. First since the tragic AKD in 2011. Seems no one hurt.

For three years they had a very bad record:

1. A2-DOG Nov 2008 write off
2. A2-AFE 15 Aug 2010 write off
3. A2-PPL Nov 2010 write off
4. A2-KWA 27 Jan 2011 write off
5. A2-AEI Sep 2011 forced landing on road
6. A2-AKD Oct 2011 write off. 9 fatalities

Then they got a very good chap in whom I was instrumental in introducing to the scene here. I advised him against going to Moremi Air but he could see an opening for himself. He was more qualified and experienced than most and ex Air Force (Not RAF). He really turned things around. Is it significant that he left about a year ago?

Going into town tomorrow and will get the details. Trouble here in the Delta, with a forced landing, there is hardly anywhere to put if down that isn't marsh or water. Then, all being high wing, they flip over.

Ex SAAF Ex-Ascot?

That is an appalling safety record.

Caco

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Re: Moremi Air Prang

#3 Post by Ex-Ascot » Thu Feb 21, 2019 12:28 pm

Ex SAAF Ex-Ascot?

That is an appalling safety record.
No Caco, European. It is was all very sensitive at the time and I was deeply involved with my criticism of the CEO who threatened to sue me. I will e-mail you.

In town today and no news. This is of course good. Clearly just a planting in the bush and a bit of croc avoidance.
'Yes, Madam, I am drunk, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly.' Sir Winston Churchill.

Capetonian

Re: Moremi Air Prang

#4 Post by Capetonian » Thu Feb 21, 2019 12:34 pm

Thanks, most encouraging! Please let me have details too.

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Re: Moremi Air Prang

#5 Post by Cacophonix » Thu Feb 21, 2019 2:00 pm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moremi_Ai ... _208_crash
The plane took off from Xakanaka Airstrip at 13:55 local time bound ultimately for Maun, but with a stop at the Pom Pom air-strip forty six miles to the west first. The crash happened almost immediately in the initial climbing phase very close to - and facing towards - the runway. Upon crashing, flames engulfed the plane extremely quickly, although it is unclear whether the fire had started before or after impact with the ground. One of the passengers, an official for Botswana’s Department of Road Transport and Safety (DRTS), was able to escape the flames and rescue his colleague and a French couple. Six other passengers and the British pilot were pronounced dead at the scene and another died shortly after the incident. Sue Smart, the CEO of Moremi Air Charters, told reporters that the pilot ‘was the company’s general manager [and] most seasoned pilot with over 12,000 hours of flying.’

Within ten minutes of the crash, other operatives were flying over the site and ground emergency services arrived at the scene within an hour, as well as members of the Botswana Defence Force and Civil Aviation Authority Botswana (CAAB). Due to the severity of the fire, identification of the victims was only possible through DNA testing. A full investigation into the crash was initiated with EFATO (Engine Failure After Take-Off) being considered as a likely cause. The head of the Aviation Law department of Stewarts Law LLP, James Healy-Pratt, cast doubt on such a verdict, stating that it is unusual for experienced pilots to attempt to return to the air strip in the event of EFAT. Other theories included possible overloading of the plane; given that the plane was not full to capacity and that the two officials of DRTS were only on the plane to assess the vehicles run by Moremi Air and not tourists with large amounts of luggage this also seems unlikely. A bird strike or, according to solicitors working on the incident, 'some other form of in-flight catastrophic failure' were also plausible explanations for the crash.Media initially reported four Swedish nationals as casualties, which in reality were from Switzerland.

Caco

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Re: Moremi Air Prang

#6 Post by Capetonian » Thu Feb 21, 2019 2:23 pm

I can only take comfort in the knowledge that every aircraft crash makes subsequent flying safwr.

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Re: Moremi Air Prang

#7 Post by Cacophonix » Thu Feb 21, 2019 2:57 pm

Capetonian wrote:
Thu Feb 21, 2019 2:23 pm
I can only take comfort in the knowledge that every aircraft crash makes subsequent flying safwr.

While that may be true in general, this accident having occurred in Africa, it may not be true in this case!

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Re: Moremi Air Prang

#8 Post by Ex-Ascot » Fri Feb 22, 2019 5:48 pm

Cape, you are most welcome to the full unreleasd accident report. We can load it onto your smart phone and you can read it on your flight with them. It will take you the rest of your time at Pom Pom to finish it though.

Sorry I have been chatting privately with Caco about AKD and didn't post the cause here. It was a compressor failure. EFATO. Burst into flames on impact. Not a performance problem. The report Caco posted is incorrect. He didn't attempt a turn back. It seems that he was just trying to avoid trees.

The CAAB and the CEO of Moremi Air were both slated so they stuffed the report under the carpet and it was never released. As an aviation consultant here it was slipped from under the carpet to me in the interests of flight safety. Long complicated story.
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Re: Moremi Air Prang

#9 Post by Ex-Ascot » Sat Feb 23, 2019 8:47 am

I posted on TOP about this being their first prang since AKD. It was removed, why? Now someone else has posted along the same lines. Let us see how long that lasts
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Re: Moremi Air Prang

#10 Post by Ex-Ascot » Sat Feb 23, 2019 12:31 pm

I have just skimmed the AKD report to see if I could find what height he got to after take off it is over 250 pages. Can't see it but found a map of impact point though. There is no way he was trying a turn back. On reflection though his wing (port) hit a tree. The impact may had swung him around. The guy had 12,000 hrs and 4,000 on type he would know that he would need considerable height for a turn back. He didn't get very far.

Edit, yes these two quotes would confirm my theory.
Witness reports and initial site investigation revealed that soon after
take-off, the occurrence aircraft banked to the left and collided with the terrain.
According to eye witnesses, the occurrence aircraft hit the tree and went out of sight,
The site investigation revealed that the occurrence aircraft hit some Mophane tree
branches with the leading edge of the port wing, with impact leaving two grooves at 2.2
metres apart (i.e. one just inboard of the wing tip and another one directly in front of the
filler cap). Site investigation further revealed that the branches which impacted with the
port wing were estimated to be fifteen (15) meters tall. From this point, it was apparent
that the starboard wing must have gained some aerodynamic lift and speed as the
occurrence aircraft swayed to the left and continued on its momentum to move forward
but sideways till impact with ground some fifteen (15) metres from the victim Mophane
tree.
Hope you all feel sorry for the 'victim Mophane
tree'
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Re: Moremi Air Prang

#11 Post by Ex-Ascot » Wed Oct 13, 2021 6:59 am

10 years ago tomorrow AKD went in. The accident report has still not been released. The Moremi Air CEO has finally been relieved of her command left. In fact we think that she may be back in the UK.

Our thoughts are with Martin's (pilot) family and friends.
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Re: Moremi Air Prang

#12 Post by Ex-Ascot » Thu Oct 14, 2021 5:39 am

I posted the above on TOP without the comment about the CEO. It has been removed. The CEO threatened to sue them due to my comments at the time. Guess it is the same moderator who remembered and doesn't want more hassle from her. He probably doesn't know that she has gone.
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Re: Moremi Air Prang

#13 Post by Ex-Ascot » Sat Jul 01, 2023 3:57 pm

Another prang here. Not Moremi Air but Major Blue. An Indian operation. 2 dead.

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/316198
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Re: Moremi Air Prang

#14 Post by Ex-Ascot » Thu Aug 17, 2023 9:28 am

Major Blue have had their license withdrawn, Not that upset they are a Injun setup who arrived here with mega dosh and announced that they were going to take over the air charter industry here.

https://guardiansun.co.bw/news/lobatse- ... gment/news
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Re: Moremi Air Prang

#15 Post by OneHungLow » Thu Aug 17, 2023 6:19 pm

Ex-Ascot wrote:
Thu Aug 17, 2023 9:28 am
Major Blue have had their license withdrawn, Not that upset they are a Injun setup who arrived here with mega dosh and announced that they were going to take over the air charter industry here.

https://guardiansun.co.bw/news/lobatse- ... gment/news
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/316198

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