Did Pilot Deliberately Crash?

Joao Abreu, chairman of the Mozambican Civil Aviation Institute has indicated that the investigations into a November 29 LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470 plane crash suggest the pilot had an intention to crash the plane.

The Embraer 190 was flying route 140 from Maputo in Moazambique to Quatro de Fevereiro Airport, Angola. It failed to arrive at its destination and its wreckage was found the next day in northern Namibia.

Mr Abreu, said that data shows that the plane began to slow down and it dropped rapidly in altitude from 38,000 to 592 feet. Low and high intensity alarm signals can be heard on recovered recordings from the plane, along with the sounds of repeated banging on the cockpit door. The co-pilot was not in the cockpit at the time of the crash as he had been in the lavatory.

The crash killed all 33 people aboard. They were 27 passengers and six crew.

The pilot’s motives are unknown. Investigations are on going.