The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) has issued a mandatory safety directive requiring all helicopter air operators to conduct an immediate priority safety risk assessment following a fatal helicopter accident at Barafu Camp on Mount Kilimanjaro on 24 December 2025.
While a formal investigation into the cause of the accident is currently underway, the Authority has moved to prioritise immediate safety assurance across all helicopter operations, particularly those conducted in challenging mountainous environments.
According to the TCAA, the directive is intended to reinforce compliance with national regulations and international safety standards, while mitigating operational risks associated with complex terrain, high-altitude conditions and adverse weather. The Authority has noted that the measure is designed to strengthen the safety of both flight crew and passengers.
Issued under Regulation 11 of the Civil Aviation (Safety Management) Regulations, 2018, the directive requires all helicopter operators holding a valid Tanzanian Air Operator Certificate to carry out a comprehensive safety risk assessment covering both scheduled and non-scheduled commercial air transport operations.
Operators are required to review and validate key operational areas, including standard operating procedures for operations in low air density environments, extreme weather conditions and terrain-constrained areas commonly encountered in mountainous regions. The assessment must also address aircraft performance and loading limitations, with particular attention to weight and balance calculations and performance under extreme density altitude conditions.
The directive further requires operators to verify pilot recency and proficiency, ensuring that all flight crew meet mandatory recency requirements and have received appropriate mountainous operations training. Fatigue management is also highlighted, with operators instructed to ensure strict monitoring of flight duty periods and compliance with fatigue risk management regulations.
Emergency and risk management procedures form a further core component of the assessment. Operators are required to review escape route planning, including down-slope and wind-aligned escape paths, as well as engine failure procedures and single-pilot operations, taking into account the physiological effects of hypoxia at high altitude.
In addition to the technical assessment, the TCAA has called on operators to actively promote a safety culture based on proactive hazard identification and risk management, particularly in operations conducted in complex mountainous terrain and adverse weather conditions.
Operators must submit a report detailing identified hazards and implemented mitigation measures to the Authority within fourteen days of the directive. The TCAA has warned that failure to comply may result in regulatory enforcement action under applicable aviation regulations.
