People searching for a “Coastal Air Tanzania crash” are usually looking for information about the fatal accident involving a Coastal Aviation Cessna Grand Caravan near Empakaai in northern Tanzania in November 2017. This article summarises what is publicly known about that accident and a separate runway incident the same year, how air accidents are investigated in Tanzania and what travellers can do to fly safely on light aircraft.
About Coastal Aviation
Coastal Aviation (often called Coastal Air) is a Tanzanian airline founded in 1987 as a charter operator and based in Dar es Salaam. It flies scheduled and charter services with single-engine Cessna 208 Grand Caravans and Pilatus PC-12s to safari airstrips, Zanzibar and regional towns, as part of the wider network of domestic flights to various destinations in Tanzania.
The November 2017 crash near Empakaai
On 15 November 2017, a Coastal Aviation Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, registration 5H-EGG, crashed near Empakaai in the Ngorongoro highlands of the Arusha Region while flying towards the Serengeti. All 11 people on board died: the pilot and ten passengers, who were tourists. Public sources describe the circumstances as unclear, and a final cause has not been widely reported.
The October 2017 Lobo airstrip accident
A few weeks earlier, on 25 October 2017, another Coastal Aviation Cessna 208B Grand Caravan (5H-THR) was badly damaged when the pilot lost control after touchdown at Lobo airstrip in the Serengeti; the aircraft veered off and struck a tree. The pilot and two passengers were injured, and no deaths were reported.
How air accidents are investigated in Tanzania
In Tanzania, civil aviation accidents are investigated by the government’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau under the transport ministry, following international standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization. Safety oversight of airlines, pilots and aircraft is the responsibility of the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA). Investigation reports aim to find causes and make safety recommendations rather than to assign blame.
Consequences and safety lessons
Accidents like these affect families, the airline and Tanzania’s tourism industry. They also lead to safety reviews of operations in challenging conditions, such as flying over high terrain in changeable weather and operating from short unpaved airstrips. Our article on lessons learned from Tanzanian airline crashes looks at the broader picture.
Flying safely on light aircraft in Tanzania
- Book with established operators licensed by the TCAA.
- Follow the pilot’s safety briefing and keep your seatbelt fastened.
- Respect baggage limits, which keep the aircraft within safe weight limits.
- Accept weather delays; pilots may wait or divert for good reasons.
- Buy travel insurance that covers air travel and medical evacuation.
Coastal Aviation today
Coastal Aviation continues to operate scheduled and charter flights across Tanzania. To compare safari airlines, see our article on Auric Air Tanzania reviews and our overview of the best airlines in Tanzania.
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