2017 Valan International Antonov An-26 crash
Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence
On 14 October 2017, a Valan International Cargo Charter-operated Antonov An-26 transport plane crashed just moments before landing at Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The accident resulted in four fatalities among the ten individuals on board.
Accident
The aircraft was conducting a flight from Ouagadougou Airport in Burkina Faso to Félix Houphouët Boigny International Airport in Abidjan. It impacted the coastline near Abidjan shortly before touchdown.[1] The airframe fractured into two sections as a result of the crash.[2] Onboard were six Moldovan crew members and four personnel from the French Army.[3] Four crew members lost their lives.[4] Among the six survivors, one sustained serious injuries.[5] The aircraft had been chartered by the French Army to support Operation Barkhane.[4] Those injured were taken to the Port-Bouet military camp for medical attention. At the time of the incident, a thunderstorm was reported in the vicinity,[2] occurring around 08:30 local time (UTC).[4]
Aircraft
The aircraft involved in the incident was an Antonov An-26-100 with the registration ER-AVB and msn 3204. This airplane originally took to the skies in 1975.
Investigation
An inquiry into the accident was initiated by authorities in Ivory Coast. The Civil Aviation Authority of Moldova provided support during the investigation process. Both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder were retrieved from the aircraft debris.
The final report from the Ivorian Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis (BEA) was published in August 2019.