Aircraft Written Off
Air Tanzania B737 black box sent abroad for analysis
The black boxes of the ill-fated Air Tanzania B737-200, which ran off the runway upon landing in Mwanza on a scheduled flight coming from the commercial capital of Dar es Salaam, are to be sent abroad for the required analysis and to obtain transcripts of the voice recordings and evaluation of the data recorded during the critical time of landing, when apparently the nose gear gave way and caused the plane to skid along the runway before coming to an eventual halt in the grassed-over area next to the tarmac.
Sources in Mwanza this correspondent spoke to after the accident and since then again, reaffirmed their earlier contention, that weather could not have played a significant role in the accident, which in their opinions, being aviators after all, was all pointed towards a mechanical failure of the nose gear. They again praised the crew for their handling of the situation, which avoided major injuries and fatalities. They also rubbished suggestions that the state of the runway could have been responsible for the incident, denying that there were any major potholes or grossly uneven patches on the field.
A reliable source with insight into ATCL has also confirmed that the damaged plane was being written off and the insurance company was going to pay the lessors full compensation for the loss of the aircraft to the tune of about US$2.5 million, while arrangements were being put into place to secure a replacement aircraft within a few weeks' time. The decision to write off the plane was also likely influenced by the lack of adequate equipment at Mwanza to patch up the plane and get it to flight readiness status for a ferry flight to a maintenance facility where major repairs could be carried out.
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