MBUZINI — 1986 · Suspicious Death
The Crash of Samora Machel's Plane
On the night of 19 October 1986 the Tupolev Tu-134 carrying Mozambican President Samora Machel home from a summit in Zambia struck the Lebombo Mountains at Mbuzini, near the South Africa–Mozambique–Eswatini border. Thirty-four people including Machel died and ten survived. The South African-appointed Margo Commission, which had international participation, blamed crew error. A Soviet delegation argued the plane may have been diverted by a false radio beacon. In 1998 the Truth and Reconciliation Commission examined the case in closed hearings and said it required further investigation. The true cause remains disputed.
- Date
- 1986
- Place
- Mpumalanga, South Africa, Mbuzini, ZA
- Category
- Suspicious Death
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- -25.9300, 31.9500 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 19 October 1986Machel's plane struck a mountain at Mbuzini.
- 1987The Margo Commission concluded crew error.
- 1987The Soviet delegation argued a false-beacon theory.
- 1998The Truth and Reconciliation Commission held closed hearings.
Sources
- Wikipedia — 1986 Mozambican Tupolev Tu-134 crash en.wikipedia.org ↗
- SABC News — Plane crash investigated sabcnews.com ↗
- TRC Final Report — Special investigation into the death of President Samora Machel sabctrc.saha.org.za ↗
- Wikipedia
- SABC News
- SAHA Truth Commission
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
Related Cases
More cases from the 1980s
Categories
Collections
🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.