NLRI called out to air crash at Entebbe Airport

On the 19th March 2005 Lake Rescue received a call from the CAA at Entebbe Airport control tower that a civilian Boeing 707 cargo plane had crashed on approach to the main runway, apparently into Lake Victoria.

Mobilising a 4x4 and with two RIB’s and outboard engines on board, a Lake Rescue team arrived at the airport, some 40 km’s from Kampala, about 1.5 hours after the call out.

The aircraft had ditched in a small bay at the southern end of the main runway, after clipping a rocky outcrop at the edge of the lagoon, it is understood during its second approach in bad weather, and had broken up in to five clearly discernible parts in very shallow water. Incredibly, although they sustained some injuries, all the crew of five walked or were carried out alive and had already been taken to hospital before our arrival.

The cargo, of what looked like bundles of clothes and audio cassette tapes, was scattered over a wide area and a pungent smell of JetA1 was blowing in off the water.

There was no further request for help from the authorities and Lake Rescue stood down after about two hours in attendance.