Kinshasa City Province

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Johannesburg - Kinshasa

MSN:

19844

YOM:

1968

Location:

Country:

Region:

Continental Cargo Airlines

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Circumstances:

After landing on runway 24 at Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport in poor weather conditions, the aircraft went out of control, veered off runway to the right, lost its right main gear and came to rest few dozen metres further. All three crew members escaped with minor injuries while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. Weather was poor at the time of the accident with heavy rain falls and crosswinds.

Crash of a Douglas DC-8-62F in Kinshasa

Date & Time: Oct 16, 1999 at 1146 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-8

Operator:

Registration:

9G-REM

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Ostend - Tunis - Kinshasa

MSN:

45910

YOM:

1967

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

While on an ILS approach to runway 24 at Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport, the captain decided to initiate a go-around procedure. While in a circuit in the vicinity of the airport, the pilot informed ATC he would complete the second approach visually and made a short pattern because of low fuel reserve. On approach with a 6 knots tailwind, the aircraft was unstable and not properly aligned when it landed hard on the left of the centerline. Out of control, it veered off runway to the left, lost its undercarriage and came to rest few hundred metres further, bursting into flames. All eight occupants were rescued, among them one was slightly injured. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.

Probable cause:

Wrong approach configuration.

Crash of a Lockheed L-188A Electra in Kinshasa: 7 killed

Date & Time: Feb 8, 1999

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-188 Electra

Operator:

Blue Airlines

Registration:

9Q-CDI

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Kinshasa - Mbandaka

MSN:

1037

YOM:

1959

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

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Circumstances:

The four engine aircraft was completing a cargo flight from Kinshasa to Mbandaka on behalf of the Congolese Armed Forces, carrying seven crew members and a load of fuel drums, ammunitions and bombs. After takeoff from Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport, while climbing, the captain informed ATC about the failure of the engine n°3 and was cleared to return for an emergency landing. The aircraft went out of control and crashed three minutes after takeoff on a building owned by the Congolese Electricity Company and located near the airport. All seven occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Failure of the engine n°3 after takeoff for unknown reasons. It was reported that the copilot failed to show up so the captain was the only pilot and he asked the flight engineer to take the copilot seat and a ground mechanic to perform the flight engineer duties.

Crash of a Casa 212 Aviocar 200 in Kinshasa: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 11, 1999

Type of aircraft:

Casa 212 Aviocar

Operator:

Registration:

802

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Harare - Kinshasa

MSN:

295

YOM:

1983

Location:

Kinshasa

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances while approaching Kinshasa, killing all five crew members who were completing a flight on behalf of the Government of Zimbabwe.

Crash of an Antonov AN-32B in Kinshasa

Date & Time: Dec 31, 1998

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-32

Operator:

Registration:

RA-48014

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

34 01

YOM:

1993

Location:

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Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

After touchdown at Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport in heavy rain, the nose gear collapsed and the aircraft came to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The exact date of the mishap remains unknown, somewhere during 1998.

Crash of a Boeing 707-323C in Kinshasa

Date & Time: Nov 1, 1997

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 707

Operator:

Congo Airlines

Registration:

9Q-CKK

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

19577

YOM:

1968

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Circumstances:

On approach to Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport, the crew informed ATC that the nose gear was stuck in its wheel well and could not be lowered, even manually. The aircraft landed on its nose and slid on the runway before coming to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-76MD in Kinshasa: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jun 6, 1996

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-76

Operator:

Hoseba

Registration:

UR-76539

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Kinshasa - Athens

MSN:

00334 42234

YOM:

1983

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

2134

Aircraft flight cycles:

1358

Circumstances:

While taxiing backwards at Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport, the crew used thrust reversers and failed to extend the flaps prior to takeoff. During the takeoff roll, the pilot-in-command started the rotation when the nose gear lifted off. Despite the aircraft failed to take off, the crew did not reject the takeoff procedure and continued. The aircraft adopted a high nose up attitude and a super critical angle of attack. It rolled for about 3,800 metres, overran, rolled for another 800 metres when it struck irregularities on the ground. On impact, the right wing was torn off and the aircraft crashed, bursting into flames. All 10 occupants were killed. The aircraft was on its way to Athens, carrying a load consisting of engine and spare parts.

Probable cause:

The crew failed to prepare the flight according to published procedures and failed to extend flaps prior to takeoff. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Poor flight preparation,
- Poor crew coordination,
- Misunderstanding by the crew about the aircraft configuration,
- The pilot-in-command failed to reject takeoff.
- Crew's fatigue,
- The aircraft was not equipped with an alarm in case of wrong flaps' position.

Crash of an Antonov AN-32B in Kinshasa: 298 killed

Date & Time: Jan 8, 1996 at 1243 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-32

Operator:

African Air

Registration:

RA-26222

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Kinshasa - Kahemba

MSN:

2301

YOM:

1989

Location:

Kinshasa-Ndolo

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

298

Circumstances:

The aircraft was completing a cargo flight from Kinshasa to Kahemba, carrying two passengers, four crew members and a load of food and basic necessities. During the takeoff roll, at a speed of 204 km/h, the pilot-in-command pulled up the control column to start the rotation but the aircraft failed to respond. The crew decided to abort the take off procedure but this decision was taken too late. Unable to stop within the remaining distance (the runway is 1,700 metres long), the aircraft overran, rolled for about 240 metres and came to rest in the district of Simbazikita, bursting into flames. A crew member was killed while five other occupants were injured. On ground, at least 297 people were killed while 253 others were injured, some seriously.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the aircraft was unable to take off because its total weight at the time of the accident was well above the MTOW. Due to lack of evidences, investigations were unable to determine the exact value of the excess mass, probably between 2 and 7 tons. Nevertheless, the decision of the crew to abort the takeoff procedure was taken too late and the runway length was insufficient. It was also reported that the aircraft was operated by African Air and leased from Moscow Airways. The flight was operated illegally on behalf of Scibe-Airlift which was not concerned about such operation. The certificate of airworthiness expired last December and the aircraft was not authorized to fly.

Crash of a Lockheed L-188A Electra in Kinshasa

Date & Time: Mar 13, 1995

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-188 Electra

Operator:

Blue Airlines

Registration:

9Q-CDG

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Matadi - Kinshasa

MSN:

1119

YOM:

1960

Location:

Country:

Region: