Cameroonian investigators say that a preliminary assessment of flight-data recorder information from the Kenya Airways Boeing 737-800 that crashed in May, shows no indication of mechanical problems.

Kenya Airways 737-800 
© Boeing Photo
Kenya Airways Boeing 737-800
Flight KQ507 came down in a region of swamp, 5km (2.7nm) south-southeast of Douala in Cameroon, on 5 May shortly after taking off from the city on a service to Nairobi. None of the 114 occupants survived.

In a progress statement on the investigation the Cameroonian civil aviation authority says that the aircraft's departure was delayed by about 1h by heavy rain and thunderstorms.

The aircraft took off from Douala's runway 12 at 00:06 after an improvement in the weather. It climbed to around 3,000ft (915m) but, says the authority, for "undetermined reasons" descended and crashed.

According to the civil aviation authority the jet nose-dived into the ground at about a 45° angle. The overall flight time was less than 2min.

"Preliminary investigation has revealed the aircraft was maintained and certificated in accordance with applicable civil aviation regulations," says the authority. "A preliminary review of the flight-recorder data has not disclosed evidence of mechanical malfunction."

It adds that it expects to complete the investigation into the loss of the aircraft in about a year.


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Source: FlightGlobal.com