Democratic Republic of Congo

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Lubumbashi - Pweto

MSN:

193

YOM:

1968

Location:

Pweto

Katanga

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful charter flight from Lubumbashi-Lueno Airport, the crew made a steep approach followed by a hard landing. The aircraft bounced and climbed to a height of about 20 feet, landed again and went out of control. It veered off runway to the left, collided with a rocky embankment, lost its undercarriage and came to rest, broken in several pieces. All five occupants escaped uninjured while the airplane was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Wrong approach configuration after the crew made a sharp turn late on final to join the glide. The rate of descent was excessive during the last segment, causing the aircraft to land hard and to bounce. Due to excessive g-loads and aerodynamic forces, the airplane went out of control.

Crash of a Gulfstream GIV in Bukavu: 6 killed

Date & Time: Feb 12, 2012 at 1300 LT

Type of aircraft:

Gulfstream GIV

Operator:

Stanford Aviation

Registration:

N2SA

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Government

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Kinshasa - Goma - Bukavu

MSN:

1104

YOM:

1989

Location:

Bukavu

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was performing a flight from Kinshasa to Bukavu with an intermediate stop in Goma on behalf of the DRC Government. After touchdown at Bukavu-Kavumu Airport, the aircraft failed to stop within the remaining distance. It veered off runway to the left, went down 20 metres high embankment before coming to rest, broken in two. There was no fire. Both pilots, a passenger and two people on the ground were killed. All others occupants were seriously injured. Fifteen days later, on 27FEB2012, a second passenger died from his injuries. The Governor of Katanga Katumba Mwanke was killed as well as the Deputy of Lukunga District Oscar Gema di Mageko who died on 27FEB2012. The survivors were the Finance Minister Matata Ponyo, the Governor of Sud-Kivu Marcelin Cishambo and the Ambassador of the President Antoine Ghonda.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the crew was not focused on the landing procedure during the approach, causing the aircraft to be well above the glide. In such conditions, the aircraft landed 1,200 metres past the runway threshold (the runway is 2,000 metres long). After touchdown, the crew activated the reverse thrust systems on both engines but the spoilers were not used. With a landing distance of about 800 metres, the aircraft could not be stopped in a safely manner and the crew failed to initiate a go-around procedure.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-28 in Namoya: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 30, 2012 at 0845 LT

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-28

Operator:

Registration:

9Q-CUN

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Bukavu – Namoya

MSN:

1AJ006-11

YOM:

1989

Location:

Namoya

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The twin engine aircraft departed Bukavu-Kavumu Airport at 0745LT for a one-hour cargo flight to Namoya. On approach, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions when the aircraft crashed in a dense wooded area located 10 km short of runway threshold. Two passengers among them a 60 years old women were seriously injured while three other occupants were killed, among them both pilots, a Russian captain and an Indian copilot.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-28 in Shabunda

Date & Time: Oct 31, 2011

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-28

Operator:

Swala Aviation

Registration:

9Q-CSX

Flight Phase:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

1AJ003-12

YOM:

1987

Location:

Shabunda

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Shabunda Airport, the crew reported engine problems and elected to return. After touchdown, the twin engine airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and came to rest against an embankment. All 16 passengers escaped unhurt while both pilots were injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The exact date of the mishap remains unknown, somewhere during October 2011.

Crash of a Boeing 727-22 in Kisangani: 77 killed

Date & Time: Jul 8, 2011 at 1511 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 727-100

Operator:

Registration:

9Q-COP

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Kinshasa - Kisangani - Goma

MSN:

18933/185

YOM:

1965

Flight number:

EO952

Location:

Kisangani

Orientale

Country:

Region:

Canadair RegionalJet CRJ-100

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

108

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

7000

Captain / Total hours on type:

5000.00

Aircraft flight hours:

52613

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Kinshasa, the crew started the descent to Kisangani-Bangoka Airport in poor weather conditions with low visibility due to heavy rain falls. On final approach, the pilot did not establish any visual contact with the runway but continued until the aircraft impacted ground some 1,000 metres short of runway 31. On impact, the aircraft went out of control, veered to the right, exploded and disintegrated in a wooded area located to the right of the approach path. The wreckage was found about 500 metres southeast from the runway 31 threshold. Five crew and 72 passengers were killed.

Probable cause:

In a preliminary report, DRC authorities pointed out the following factors:
- The flight crew misjudged weather conditions,
- The airline assigned unqualified/non-licensed crew to operate the Boeing 727-100 (the pilot's licence was not up to date),
- Tower controllers were not licensed (two ATC's did not have a proper licence and above legal age)
- Tower control staff was insufficient (six only for the complete roster),
- Tower controllers provided erroneous/false weather data to flying crew,
- The airport authority lacked security plans,
- Phonic records between tower control and crew were erased (destroyed) before the commission of inquiry can start any investigation.

Crash of a Canadair RegionalJet CRJ-100ER in Kinshasa: 32 killed

Date & Time: Apr 4, 2011 at 1356 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

4L-GAE

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Humanitarian

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Kisangani – Kinshasa

MSN:

7070

YOM:

1995

Flight number:

UNO834

Location:

Kinshasa-N'Djili

Kinshasa City Province

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

2811

Captain / Total hours on type:

1622.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

495

Copilot / Total hours on type:

344

Circumstances:

On final approach to Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport, the crew encountered very poor weather conditions and decided to make a go around. After a climb process of 12 seconds, the aircraft nosed down and at a speed of 180 knots, hit the ground 170 meters to the left of the displaced threshold of runway 24. The aircraft slid for 400 meters before coming to rest in flames upside down. Three passengers were seriously injured and evacuated but of them died from their injuries few hours later. Finally, only one passenger survived the accident. Aircraft was performing a special flight from Kisangani to Kinshasa on behalf of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). The only survivor reported that the aircraft suddenly plunged into the earth while on final approach. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were marginal with storm activity, heavy rain showers, scattered at 2,200 feet and cumulonimbus at 1,500 feet.

Probable cause:

Weather in Kinshasa was bad at the time of the accident, ATC failed to inform the crew about the degradation of the weather conditions and the runway in use was not closed to traffic while the visibility was below the minima. Despite this situation, the crew took the decision to continue the approach procedure while the aircraft was unstable and the approach speed was too high (180 knots). It is reported that the following factors contributed to the accident:
- the crew ignored the published approach procedures,
- improper crew resources management during the execution of the flight,
- during the go around process, the crew encountered adverse weather conditions with vertical wind gusts, downdrafts and a 'magenta' effect. This caused the aircraft to adopt nose down attitude while it was in the final stage of the flight, preventing the pilot to take over the control,
- the pilot training program was inadequate and did not include a proportionate number of flight in the simulator,
- the authority for civil aviation of Georgia has probably approved a small training program for upgrading the captain to his position,
- lack of oversight of the operator by the Georgian Civil Aviation Authority.
In conclusion, investigators believe that the most probable cause of the accident is the fact that the plane encountered a very dangerous meteorological phenomena similar to a microburst, to a very low level during the overshoot process. The dangerous vertical downdraft and gust caused a sudden and remarkable change in the attitude of the aircraft and a substantial loss of altitude. Flying at very low altitude, recovery of such disturbance was not possible.

Final Report:

Crash of a Let L-410UVP near Bukavu: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 14, 2011 at 1615 LT

Type of aircraft:

Let L-410

Operator:

African Air Services

Registration:

9Q-CIF

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Bukavu – Lusenge

MSN:

83 09 22

YOM:

1983

Location:

Bukavu

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Eight minutes after takeoff from Bukavu-Kavumu Airport, while climbing, the twin engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances on the slope of Mt Biega, some 25 km north of Bukavu. The aircraft was destroyed and both pilots were killed. They were completing a cargo flight to Lusenge.

Crash of a Let L-410UVP near Bukavu: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 21, 2010

Type of aircraft:

Let L-410

Operator:

Registration:

9Q-CUA

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Bukavu – Shabunda

MSN:

X0101

YOM:

1977

Location:

Bukavu

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was completing a cargo flight from Bukavu to Shabunda, carrying two pilots and a load of 1,500 kilos of various goods. Few minutes after takeoff from Bukavu-Kavumu Airport, while climbing, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed near the village of Bugulumisa located at the border of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park. The aircraft was totally destroyed and both pilots were killed.

Probable cause:

It is believed that the accident was the consequence of an engine failure.

Crash of a Let L-410UVP-E20C in Bandundu: 20 killed

Date & Time: Aug 25, 2010 at 1400 LT

Type of aircraft:

Let L-410

Operator:

Registration:

9Q-CCN

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Kinshasa - Kiri - Bokoro - Semendwa - Bandundu - Kinshasa

MSN:

91 26 08

YOM:

1991

Location:

Bandundu

Country:

Region: