As efforts to tow the fuselage of the ill-fated plane from Lake Victoria, some incoming reports say the pilot could have chosen a softer landing on lake to prevent a more horrid scenario.
The Management of Precision-Air, the carrier which owns the aircraft is sending a team to investigate the incident which occurred in Bukoba District of Kagera Region.
The ATR aircraft on flight PW 494 was piloted by Captain Burhani Rubaga an experienced aviator with a 20-year track-record.
Captain Rubaga piloted the plane together with the aircraft’s First Officer, Peter Omondi.
The two were trapped in the cockpit after the disaster.
The Pilot made several rounds on air after communicating to the passengers that the weather in Bukoba was bad and was contemplating to return the airplane back and land in Mwanza.
There was massive tumult as the plane attempted to land again, suddenly the passengers found themselves in water.
A member of the crew struggled to winch the rear door open and once it was open passengers slid out into the water.
Should the plane crash on land, or at the air terminal deaths and damages could have been worse.
The ill-fated aircraft was French-made, ATR 42-500, with a seating capacity of 48 which was purchased in 2010.
A total of 43 people were onboard, among them 39 passengers and 4 crew members.
Some 28 people have been so far rescued from the scene of the accident.
A total of 19 dead bodies were also fished out of the lake, according to Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa thus indicating the rising death toll from the previously reported three.
It is the first plane crash occurring on Lake Victoria.
Related: Deaths on the Lake
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