Special Report Transcript Episode 24, Section 5, Time 22:22

On Sunday morning, October 19, 1986 Samora Machel met with the Presidents of Angola, Zambia and Zaire in the northern Zambian town of Kabasabay Kasama?. At 18 minutes to 5 that afternoon his Russian made Tupolev jet took off from the Mbala airstrip heading for Maputo. On board flight Charlie 9 Charlie Alpha Alpha were nine crew members and 35 passengers, among them ambassadors and senior Mozambique ministers and officials. The estimated time of arrival was 25 minutes past 7. At 2 minutes past 7 air traffic control at Maputo told the pilot to report when down to 3000 feet or when the Maputo runway lights were visible. The plane started its descent. Eight minutes later it turned 37 degrees to the right. At 17 minutes past 7 Maputo air control cleared them for landing. The pilot said, there is no Maputo, electrical power is off. These are the last moments of Charlie 9 Charlie AA. The visuals are simulated, but the voices come from the actual recording on the plane’s black box.

Notes: Samora and Graca Machel ; Re-enactment of last moments on board Machel’s airplane

References: there are no references for this transcript