Updated
A Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW (ERJ-190AR) disappeared in bad weather with poor visibility while en route from Luanda Airport Angola to Maputo International in Mozambique when it lost contact with ATC at 11:26 on Friday 29 November 2013.
The plane disappeared. A fruitless search Friday was cancelled due to rain and resumed Saturday. The wreckage was found in Nambia on Saturday. It had crashed in Bwabwata National Park-a protected game area and migration route 2,422 square miles. None of the twenty-seven passengers or six crew survived.
The wreckage was found burned out, the bodies scattered, near the Angola-Botswana border in a wilderness area. The black boxes were recovered by investigators.
PRESS RELEASE (Translated)
07:00 pm (Maputo), November 30, 2013
It is with great pain and consternation that LAM confirms the tragic event of crash of the Embraer 190 aircraft with registration C9-EMC that made the flight TM470 Maputo-Luanda, last November 29, 2013.
At the end of the morning, the Namibian aviation authorities confirmed that the search and rescue team had located the place where the plane crashed in the North of Namibia, there are no survivors.
Right now, our prayers and our full attention go to the relatives of the passengers and crew who were aboard this plane, dedicating all our moral and psychological support in order to minimize the pain for the loss of their loved ones. This is our priority.
As the first form of assistance the LAM established a family support centre at the airports of Maputo and Luanda. Were assigned to these centers, specialized professionals for this type of events with the aim of providing the due advice to families. At the same time our legal department is working to give all judicial assistance with regard to the procedures to be followed after a plane crash where there have been fatalities.
We put at the disposal of the members of the affected families, a dedicated line for which you can call and get information. The number is: +258 21468778/9.
The flight TM470 took on board 27 passengers and 6 crew members.
The nationalities of the passengers were the following:
Mozambique (10);
Angola (9);
Portugal (5);
France (1);
China (1);
Brazil (1).
The crew comprised two pilots and three cabin crew and a technician.
LAM has already informed the embassies of countries whose citizens perished in this accident.
Engage an international company specializing in the management of disasters of this nature, Kenyon International, to support the efforts of the search and recovery of the remains of the victims and their belongings. For families this aspect is quite important because it will enable the identification of each person who was aboard this flight.
Part of Kenyon’s team is already on the way from the crash site being that the other party will join them tomorrow, arrived from England. We hope to have a clearer assessment about the scene of the accident throughout the day tomorrow, Sunday.
LAM sent this afternoon for Namibia an emergency response team to provide all the support to the authorities who are investigating this accident. According to international aviation rules, Namibia, a country where the accident occurred, should lead the investigation. Aeronautical authorities of Mozambique, Angola, Brazil and the air transport safety Bureau of the United States will also participate in the investigation.
Do we still have information about the circumstances in which the accident occurred, and we can’t even speculate on the likely causes of the same, since we should give time and space for researchers to conduct their work without interference.
Here’s the info on the plane involved in this accident:
The Embraer 190 Aircraft type);
B) Registration: C9-EMC;
C) capacity: 93 seats (9 Business and Economic 84);
D) manufacturing Country: Brazil;
E) powerplant: 2 General Electric CF34 engines-10 turbofan engines;
F) delivery date: November 17, 2012.
Until the date of the accident the plane had performed 2905 hours of flight time and flight 1877.
Finally we would like to express our thanks to the Governments of Namibia, Angola, Botswana and South Africa for their support and resources provided to rescue teams.
We owe our thanks to the volunteers and individuals who provided in support to families of the victims.
We will give more information as they become available.
We appeal to all the greater solidarity and support as possible in regard to pain and privacy of families affected.
Note:we ask journalists who wish to more information are kindly requested to contact the Office of institutional communication through numbers 827846815/825777946.
LAM will provide up-to-date information through the website: www.LAM.co.mz
PRESS RELEASE (Translated)
09:00 pm (Maputo), November 29, 2013
LAM-Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique, s. a. reports that the flight departed from 470 TM Maputo international airport at 11:26 hours today, November 29, 2013, en route to Luanda, the Angolan capital, had its landing scheduled for the 14: 10:0, local time. Follow aboard 28 passengers and 6 crew members.
Information obtained gives indication of the aircraft have landed in Rundo, northern Namibia, bordering Botswana and Angola.
Currently LAM, Aeronautics and airport authorities are committed to establish contacts in order to confirm the information.
LAM will provide more information as the investigations are ongoing.
For additional information, contact the Office of institutional communication of LAM through Norberto Mucopa: 82 7846815 and Irina Matos: 825777946.
Maputo, November 29, 2013
