Narrative:Flight ET 372 departed Bulchi at 09:04Z carrying 8 passengers and a cargo of coffee. After contacting Jimma at 09:40 the pilot requested that the Jimma NDB be turned on. There was no further contact with the flight. The DC-3 crashed on a mountainside at 9400 feet altitude.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The accident was caused by the following: a) the pilot misjudged the weather conditions in that he continued to fly into deteriorating weather conditions while trying to maintain visual flight rules; b) he misjudged the performance capabilities of the aircraft in that he attempted to climb at a speed below the minimum safe climbing speed of the aircraft."
Classification:
VFR flight in IMC
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain
Sources:
» Bringing Africa thogether / Ethiopian Airlines, 1988
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does
not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Bulchi Airport to Jimma Airport as the crow flies is 162 km (101 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.