French investigators head to Tanzania to help probe plane crash

The group of investigators contains technical advisers from Franco-Italian planemaker ATR, which made the crashed airplane.

Rescuers seek for survivors after a Precision Air flight that was carrying 43 individuals plunged into Lake Victoria because it tried to land within the lakeside city of Bukoba, Tanzania on November 6, 2022 [Sitide Protase/AFP]

French air accident investigators are being deployed to Tanzania to help within the investigation of a passenger airplane crash that killed at the least 19 individuals on Sunday.

A spokesperson for France’s BEA air accident investigation company stated on Monday that it was sending a group to Tanzania together with technical advisers from Franco-Italian planemaker ATR.

The airplane, which crashed in Lake Victoria, was an ATR 42-500 turboprop made by the corporate.

Flight PW494, operated by Precision Air, hit the water throughout storms and heavy rain, state Tanzania Broadcasting Company (TBC) reported. The tragedy occurred whereas the airplane was attempting to land at a close-by airport, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa and the airline stated.

Majaliwa stated investigators had launched a probe into what had occurred and specialists say that might take months.

Underneath worldwide guidelines, the locally-led investigation would often embrace the participation of authorities in France, the place the airplane was designed, and Canada, the place its Pratt & Whitney engines had been developed.

ATR stated it was “absolutely engaged to help the client and the investigation”.