A LAM Linhas Aereas de Mocambique Embraer ERJ-190, registration C9-EMC performing flight TM-470 from Maputo (Mozambique) to Luanda (Angola) with 27 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL380 over northern Botswana in clear weather when the aircraft suddenly began to descend at about 6000 feet per minute until radar contact and radio contact was lost with the aircraft at about 11:30Z. The aircraft did not arrive in Luanda (scheduled arrival at 14:10L, 13:10Z), the aircraft would have run out of fuel by now. There are no reports of an unscheduled landing anywhere in the region along the flight track. The aircraft was found crashed and burnt down on Namibia's territory in the Bwabwata National Park east of Rundu (Namibia), about 15nm eastsoutheast of Bagani at coordinates S18.1933 E21.8693 with the aircraft's final heading westnorthwest in the general direction to Bagani, the following morning (Nov 30th), no survivors were found.
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On Dec 14th 2013 Mozambique's Civil Aviation Authority reported in a press conference, that the investigation is well underway, cockpit voice and flight data recorder have been successfully read out and have been analysed, a preliminary report is nearly finished. Results of the investigation so far rule out any mechanical problem or problem with the airworthiness of the aircraft as cause of the major accident.
On Dec 21st 2013 Mozambique's Civil Aviation Authority reported in a press conference (the preliminary report has not yet been released by Namibia's Accident Investigation Commission), that cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder revealed, that the captain was alone on the flight deck, banging on the flight deck door could be heard on the cockpit voice recorder. The autoflight systems (autothrottle and autopilot) were engaged. There were sounds and clicks consistent with a person knowledgeable of the aircraft systems commanding the engines to idle thrust and selecting the autoflight systems into a descent at 6000 feet per minute. Numerous warnings and alerts were not responded to.
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