 A2-ABA, the aircraft involved in the accident in 1974 while still in service with Air Botswana | |
| Occurrence | |
|---|---|
| Date | 8 June 2004 (2004-06-08) |
| Summary | Hydraulic failure due to engine failure |
| Site | Gulf of Guinea, near Libreville International Airport |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Hawker Siddeley HS 748 |
| Operator | Gabon Express |
| Registration | TR-LFW |
| Flight origin | Libreville International Airport, Libreville, Gabon |
| Stopover | Port-Gentil International Airport, Port-Gentil, Gabon |
| Destination | M'Vengue El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba International Airport, Franceville, Gabon |
| Occupants | 30 |
| Passengers | 26 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Fatalities | 19 |
| Injuries | 11 |
| Survivors | 11 |
Gabon Express Flight 221 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on 8 June 2004. The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 was carrying 26 passengers and 4 crew and was flying from Gabon's capital Libreville to Franceville via Port-Gentil when an engine failed. The crew tried to return to Libreville International Airport; however they overflew it and nosedived into the sea. At least 19 people were killed in the crash. It was the second deadliest plane crash in Gabon. Gabon President Omar Bongo declared three days of national mourning in response to the disaster.
Aircraft and crew
The aircraft involved was a 37-year-old Hawker Siddeley HS 748 registered as TR-LFW. It was powered by two Rolls-Royce Dart engines.[1] The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 was last produced in 1988. The aircraft was carrying 26 passengers and 4 crew members.[2]
Accident
On 8 June 2004, the flight took off from Libreville International Airport. A few minutes later, the aircraft's right engine failed. Uncertain on whether the landing gear was extended, the pilot decided to attempt a ditching.[3] At 09:34,[4] the aircraft ditched offshore, around 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) away from the airport,[1] a few dozens of meters away from the beach of La Sablière.[4]
Search and rescue
Immediately after the crash, fire crew and emergency services were deployed. 11 survivors were evacuated from the scene and were taken by helicopters to local hospital in Libreville; none had received serious injuries. Divers were deployed by authorities to rescue people trapped inside the wreckage. Local fishermen, Gabonese firefighters, the French Navy, and the French military also joined the rescue effort.[2][5][6] As the aircraft did not immediately sink, fishermen were able to rescue multiple passengers.[7]
Aftermath
The following day, President of Gabon Omar Bongo declared three days of national mourning in honor to the victims of the crash, with the government's office stating that a national funeral would be organised.[2]
References
- ^ a b "Gabon grounds airlines after crash". Flight International. Vol. 165, no. 4939. 22 June 2004. p. 8. EBSCOhost 13774605; ProQuest 225112556.
- ^ a b c Aviation 2005.
- ^ Lecadre, Renaud (19 August 2005). "Au Gabon, des familles de victimes craignent un procès pipé" [In Gabon, families of victims fear a rigged trial]. Libération (in French). p. 4. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ a b Tonda 2005, p. 53.
- ^ "Plane crashes off Gabon coast". Times of Malta. 8 June 2004. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- ^ "Plane crash off Gabon kills at least 14". NBC News. 8 June 2004. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- ^ Tonda 2005, p. 54.
Sources
- "Aviation". Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal. 14 (1). February 2005. doi:10.1108/dpm.2005.07314aac.009. ISSN 0965-3562. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- Tonda, Joseph (2005). "La télévision, le regard des morts et le pouvoir politique à Libreville". In Rossatanga-Rignault, Guy (ed.). Le Gabon malgré lui (in French). Éditions Karthala. ISBN 9782845866959.
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