Kenya Airways Flight 431
Kenya Airways Flight 431 was an international scheduled Abidjan–Lagos–Nairobi passenger service, operated by Kenyan national airline Kenya Airways. On 30 January 2000, the Airbus A310-300 serving the flight crashed into the sea off the Ivory Coast, shortly after takeoff from Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport, Abidjan.: 10 There were 179 people on board, of whom 169 were passengers. Only ten people survived.
5Y-BEN, the aircraft involved in the accident | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 30 January 2000 |
| Summary | False stall warning leading to pilot error and controlled flight into terrain |
| Site | Atlantic Ocean, East of Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport Abidjan, Ivory Coast 05°13′33.3″N 03°56′11.7″W |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Airbus A310-304 |
| Aircraft name | Harambee Star |
| Operator | Kenya Airways |
| IATA flight No. | KQ431 |
| ICAO flight No. | KQA431 |
| Call sign | KENYA 431 |
| Registration | 5Y-BEN |
| Flight origin | Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport Abidjan, Ivory Coast |
| Stopover | Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos, Nigeria |
| Destination | Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Nairobi, Kenya |
| Occupants | 179 |
| Passengers | 169 |
| Crew | 10 |
| Fatalities | 169 |
| Injuries | 10 |
| Survivors | 10 |
With 169 fatalities, the crash was the deadliest involving the Airbus A310 and the deadliest in Ivory Coast history. It was the first fatal crash for Kenya Airways as well as the deadliest.
An investigation was carried out by the French BEA. It concluded that the crash was caused by the flight crew's improper response following the activation of a false stall warning. In the aftermath of the crash, the BEA issued recommendations for better training for pilots in terms of handling a false stall warning. During the course of the investigation, BEA had also learned of new stall recovery procedure(s), stating that such procedure(s) would be included in future flight operation manuals.: 76–78