Equatorial Guinea National Guard Antonov AN-32 plane crash
Annobón, Equatorial Guinea
Updated on
The Russian-made Antonov 32, belonging to the Equatorial Guinea National Guard, was flying from the city of Bata on the African mainland to the small southern island of Annobon, Equatorial Guinea. The plane crashed into the sea during landing.
The plane landed on its destination airfield’s runway in very poor weather conditions: heavy wind and rain were prevailing at the time of the accident. But then, the plane did not decelerate enough, skidded off the runway and crashed into the sea.
All five crew members (three air force officers and two Russians) and six civilian passengers -- who were campaigning ahead of municipal and parliamentary elections on May 4 -- were killed (state radio says the number of passengers and crew was 13. The government says 11 people were the plane).
Equatorial Guinean airlines figure high on a European Union blacklist.
Annobon is home to around 3,000 people, mainly employed in fishing. Flights to the mainland only started in 2007.