32 aircraft accidents in Congo since 2000

The Embraer ERJ-145 operated by AirJet Angola was performing a charter flight to Kolwezi (Democratic Republic of the Congo), following a stopover in Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of the Congo). There were 26 passengers and 3 crew members on board. During landing at Kolwezi Airport, both main landing gear assemblies collapsed and the aircraft veered off the runway before catching fire. All 29 occupants evacuated the aircraft and no injuries were reported.

The Antonov AN-28 operated by Transcep Congo Aviation took off from Bukavu, DR Congo, for a freight flight to Kasese, DR Congo. 3 crewmembers were onboard. The plane was declared missing about one hour flight after departure. 10 days later, on September 20th, the wreckage has been located about 20km from Bukavu. All the three people onboard were killed.

The Antonov AN-26 operated by Gomair took off from Tshikapa, Congo, for a cargo flight to Kinshasa, Congo. 7 crewmembers were onboard. The plane crashed while descending towards the destination of Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport. All 7 people onboard were killed. The cargo plane was returning from Tshikapa where it had delivered election materials for the national electoral commission (CENI). The plane was approaching its destination in poor visibility conditions. It was cleared to descend to 5000 feet. The plane crashed a few minutes later. Wreckage was found 20 NM (35km) away from the airport. Locals reported that the airplane was in very poor technical condition.

The Fokker 50 operated by CAA Compagnie Africaine Aviation took off from Lodja, Congo, for a cargo flight to Goma, Congo. 6 crewmembers, 3 passengers and freight were onboard. The plane crashed in a residential area at Lake Kivu short of the runway while on approach to Goma's airport. The 6 crewmembers perished, and the 3 passengers survived. One person on the ground was hit by debris and was taken to a hospital with injuries. The aircraft has been destroyed. The plane was on approach to Goma’s airport in bad weather conditions: heavy rain, thunderstorm and strong crosswinds were reported. The plane hit buildings short of the runway and crashed onto open ground. The plane ended up some seven kilometres (four miles) from the runway.

The Ilyushin IL-76T freighter operated by Aero Services took off from Pointe Noire, Congo, for a cargo flight to Brazzaville, Congo. 6 crewmembers and one passenger were onboard. The plane was carrying cars and various goods. It crashed while on approach to Brazzaville airport, killing all 7 occupants and as many as 25 people on the ground. The plane was far too low on final approach to Brazzaville airport, and the weather conditions were very bad with heavy thunderstorms reported around the airport. The aircraft clipped two strong branches of a large tree about 1080 meters ahead of the runway threshold at about twice the height of local houses, clipped 6 smaller trees about 1015 meters ahead of the runway threshold at about the height of the houses and left first debris behind about 985 meters ahead of the runway threshold. It then crushed several dwellings, killing 25 people on the ground and injuring many others. The main wreckage came to rest in a ravine about 870 meters before the runway threshold.

The Gulfstream IV business jet operated by the Congo Government took off from Goma, Congo, for a private flight to Bukavu, Congo. Four passengers and two crewmembers were onboard. The plane crashed while landing at Bukavu-Kavumu Airport. Three occupants were killed in the accident. The flight had departed Kinshasa, Congo, on a flight to Bukavu via Goma. The twin-engine Gulfstream was carrying Congo government officials. The plane landed at Bukavu, but it touched down only halfway down the runway and overshoot the runway. The plane came to a stop down an embankment and broke in two. Both pilots were killed in the accident, as well as one passenger (a senior Congolese presidential adviser). The three other passengers were injured. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were good.

The Antonov 28 operated by TRACEP took off from Bukavu, Congo, on a cargo flight to Namoya, Congo. Three passengers and two crewmembers were onboard. The airplane was carrying also 2 tons of cargo. The plane failed to arrive at Namoya. The wreckage has been found a few hours later in a forest, about 6 miles (10 kilometers) from Namoya. Both crewmembers and one passenger were killed in the accident. Two passengers survived.

The Boeing 727-100 operated by Hewa Bora took off from Kinshasa, Congo, for a passenger flight to Kisangani, Congo. 112 passengers and 6 crewmembers were onboard. The plane crashed on landing at Kisangani Airport, killing 74 people. 44 people survived. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were very poor, with heavy rain, low visibility, thunderstorms in the area reported. The plane missed its landing on Kisangani's runway and broke up coming to rest about 600 meters from the runway.

The Canadair CRJ-100ER, operated on behalf of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), took off from Kisangani, Congo, to Kinshasa N'Djili. 29 passengers and 4 crewmembers were onboard. The plane crashed on landing at Kinshasa N'Djili airport. 32 people were killed, and one person survived. Torrential rain, thunderstorms and low visibility were reported at the time of the accident. The plane was on an instrument approach to Kinshasa N'Djili's runway 24 in those bad weather conditions but it missed its landing, smashed into pieces upon ground contact and came to rest off the runway abeam the military apron. Kinshasa Ndjili airport’s runway 06/24 is officially 4650 meters long, however due to very poor runway condition the threshold of runway 24 had to be displaced leaving a runway length of about 3400 meters available.

The Let 410 plane, operated by TRACEP, was on a cargo Flight from Bukavu, Congo, to Shabunda, Congo. 2 crewmembers were onboard. The plane crashed shortly after take-off, killing both crewmembers. The plane was carrying consignments of food and other goods. The plane crashed minutes after takeoff, near Bugulumisa, 30 km far from Bukavu.

The Filair LET L-410 was performing a passenger flight from Kinshasa, Congo, to Bandundu, Congo, with 18 passengers and 3 crewmembers. The plane crashed into a house about 2 km from Bandundu Airport. 20 occupants were killed in the accident, and one passenger survived. The airplane was destroyed, there was no fire. After an abortive attempt to land, the aircraft turned away and crashed towards the edge of Bandundu city, hitting an earthen house. The cause of the crash is unknown, but it is very likely that it has been caused by a human error that lead the plane to stall. The owner of the private airline Filair, a Belgian citizen, was at the controls of the Let-410 plane and was among those killed. 2 months after the accident, an African media reported the presence of a crocodile onboard that escaped from a suitcase, leading to a stampede. Passengers then rushed to the cockpit unbalancing the aircraft to a point, where control was lost. This story has then been reported by many international media. However, this is a very unlikely story: it is based on the testimony of an unidentified person. Nobody on ground remembers having seen a crocodile and the plane survivor has never told about such a story. In addition, among all the photos that were taken on the crash scene, no crocodile have been captured.

The Aero Service Casa C-212-100 Aviocar, performing a charter flight from Yaounde, Cameroon, to Yangadou, Congo, with 9 passengers and 2 crewmembers, was enroute when it crashed near Avima, Congo, close to the border to Gabon. All 11 occupants were killed. The plane was enroute about 38 minutes into the 67-minute flight, when the last radio contact with the aircraft took place. The aircraft was then declared missing. Following a search the airplane was located 2 days later in mountainous terrain covered by rain forest. The plane was chartered by Cam Iron, the Cameroon subsidiary of Sundance Resources, an Australian iron ore mining firm. A number of Australian mining executives were on board the plane. At the time of the accident, the airline operating the plane was blacklisted by the European and American Aviation Authorities.

The CAA (Compagnie Africaine Aviation) Boeing 727-200 performing a freight flight from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, to Kananga, Democratic Republic of Congo, suffered a hydraulics problem shortly after takeoff prompting the crew to return to Kinshasa's Ndjili Airport. After landing, the airplane veered left off the runway and came to a stop with all gear collapsed. No injuries occurred. Because of the hydraulic leak, the captain decided to return to land to the longer runway at Ndjili. Heavy rain was prevailing, and there was water standing on the runway. After touch down, the airplane could not be slowed because the brake failed due to the loss of hydraulic pressure. The crew tried to use spoilers and thrust reverser, but there was no braking effect. The threshold of runway had been displaced and the now unused area of the former runway is being broken up and removed, leaving concrete piles on that section. The crew therefore tried to steer the airplane to the left hand edge around the works, but the left hand main gear went off the edge. There was an erosion at the left hand edge about 40cms deep causing the left main gear to drop below the concrete and the gear snapped off. The airplane skidded for about 300 meters on the right main gear, nose gear and left wing doing a 90 degrees pirouette in the process, at which point the right hand main gear snapped off. The right hand main gear ended up besides the left wing. Investigation showed that the tailskid had been removed by the maintenance team prior the flight. However, it is probable that the tailskid hydraulics lines were either badly locked or no plugs installed at all after the removal, leading to the loss of the hydraulic fluid when the hydraulic pumps were activated.

The Aero Fret Business Antonov 12 cargo plane departed Pointe Noire, Congo, bound for Brazzaville, Congo. The aircraft was destroyed when it crashed at Nganga Lingolo, Congo, killing all six on board. The cargo plane was loaded with food, a minibus and three cars. Five crewmembers were onboard, as well as one passenger (who was not on the manifest). About one hour after takeoff, the airplane was approaching Brazzaville runway 05 when it crashed in a cemetery, some 11 km (6 NM) short of the runway threshold. The airplane came down near the Final Approach Point. The airplane should have started its final approach at that point, from an altitude of 1970 feet above ground level.

The Beechcraft 1900 operating on behalf of Air Serv International departed Kinshasa, Congo, on a humanitarian flight to Goma, Congo. 15 passengers and 2 crewmembers were onboard. En route stops were made in Mbandaka and Kisangani. The last stop before Goma would be Bukavu, a one hour flight from Kisangani. The airplane approached Bukavu and crashed. There is no survivor. The plane was carrying 15 UN and private aid workers and two crewmembers. It flew into a steep ridge while approaching on Bukavu in severe weather conditions, some 15 km northwest of Bukavu and broke into several pieces when it hit the ground. The 21-seat Beechcraft 1900 went missing on September 1st, but the wreckage was spotted the next morning. The circumstances of the accident are still unknown, but the weather was reported to have been particularly bad in the area at the moment of the accident. Financed by international donors, Air Serv International carries humanitarian aid workers throughout Congo. It also operates in Chad, Uganda, Mozambique, Iraq and Afghanistan. Air Serv International describes itself as a not-for-profit aviation organization that supports humanitarian programs worldwide.

The DC-9 chartered by Hewa Bora Airways was taking off from Goma on a flight to the Congolese capital Kinshasa when it came down in the teeming market district of Birere, a warren of single-storey shops which were crowded at that time of day. The plane developed problem during takeoff and the pilot tried to brake. But the DC-9 skidded on water on the runway and crashed in the village located at the end of the runway. Residents heard a big explosion, which set several buildings on fire. A large plume of smoke rose from the crash site. Half of the plane has broken off. There is a fire towards the back. At the crash scene, the damaged cockpit and tail were visible, and in between was the fuselage - a burned, flattened and tangled mixture of rubble and debris and charred shops. The plane appeared to have burst through a thin fence separating the runway from a market district of wooden houses and cement shops where sugar, avocados, flour and fuel are sold. It is unknown yet exactly how many people were onboard and how many were killed. Conflicting reports indicates approximately 86 passengers and 8 crewmembers were onboard. 3 passengers died, but 37 people were killed on ground. More than one hundred people were injured, and severe damage were reported on ground. Potholes are part of the problem on the runway at Goma airport, which was damaged by lava during a 2002 eruption of a nearby volcano. It is in disrepair with broken tarmac all over. The lava flow had reduced the runway by a third and aviation officials said planes now had to make short takeoffs.

The Russian-made Antonov 26 owned by El Sam Airlift, and chartered by Malift Air, was on a passenger flight from Kinshasa, Congo, and Tshikapa, Congo. The plane crashed seconds after takeoff from Kinshasa. Shortly after takeoff the nr.2 engine failed. Some reports say propeller blade(s) separated from the engine. The airplane lost height, contacted trees and crashed onto Mayulu Avenue in the Kingasani neighbourhood, striking three houses. The plane burst into flame after it crashed in this populated area. One crew member is said to have survived the accident, but the 21 other people onboard died (there have been many conflicting reports regarding the number of passengers: a figure of 19 has also been mentioned in press reports). At least 28 fatalities have been reported on the ground. Several houses have been completely destroyed by fire. El Sam Airlift is banned from flying in Europe because of safety concerns. Ageing planes in Congo suffer from a lack of maintenance and spare parts but they are often the only way to transport people and goods across the vast central African country that is slowly recovering from a 1998-2003 civil war.

The Antonov An-32 was on a cargo and passenger flight from Kongolo (Congo), to Goma (Congo), the main city in North Kivu province, with around 9 tonnes of cassiterite (tin oxide) and other minerals. Goma is a transit point for many mineral exports from eastern Congo. Twelve passengers also boarded the flight. The airplane developed engine trouble about ten minutes after takeoff. The crew attempted to return to the Kongolo but the airplane was unable to maintain altitude and hit trees, crashed and burned 3 kilometers short of the runway. The plane was flying about 3 tons over the recommended capacity. Among the 15 people on board (12 passengers and 3 crew members), only 1 survived. The government has suspended the license of Great Lakes Business Co., the company that operated the plane, along with several other companies for negligence and overloading planes.

The Antonov 28 belonging to the local private airline Air Traset was on a flight from the mining town of Lugushwa (130 km south of Bukavu) and carried mining products but also 14 passengers. The plane went down on approach to its destination airport in Bukavu (Congo). The Antonov descended in low clouds and struck a mountainside. It crashed in a forest and caught fire. All 17 people onboard were killed.

The Boeing 737-200 belonging to General Kikunda (a senior aviation figure in the Democratic Republic of Congo) crashed during a test flight, killing all seven people on board (Kikunda, was not on board at the time of the accident). The accident occurred at the capital Kinshasa's airport (Congo). A test flight was carried out, because the General Kikunda had decided to put the aircraft back into use after 9 years of standing idle. It had been left on the airport's parking apron since 1997. Airport sources said the plane was making a landing when its left main landing gear failed, causing the crash. Reports said the flightcrew, which included a number of aero-engineers, had battled in vain to safely land the stricken aircraft.

This Boeing 727 from Miba airline skidded off the runway after landing at the national airport of Kindu, near Maniema. All people onboard survived, but the aircraft has been damaged. After landing, the aircraft veered off the side of the runway coming to rest on soft ground. At the time, the local weather was varying between medium to heavy rainshowers causing slippery runway conditions. The captain said he landed normally, but he has been surprised by a water layer on the runway. 3 crew members and 7 tons of cargo were onboard.

The aircraft, on a passenger flight from Beni to Isiro-Matari Airport, crashed while attempting to land. About a mile from the field while on approach to runway 31, the plane impacted a grove of trees, crashed, and exploded. Weather at the time of the accident was foggy.

The aircraft, on a passenger flight from Goma to Kindu, crashed into a forested cliff approximately 30 minutes after takeoff. All 27 passengers and crew members were killed.

The aircraft, operating on a passenger flight between Boende and Kinshasa, crashed while attempting its third takeoff attempt after two previous aborted takeoffs. The Antonov overran the runway, and crashed into a market square. 20 people onboard died, as well as 13 people on ground. 4 persons onboard survived.

The cargo aircraft was leased to the Congolese Ministry of Defense and had been operating in Congo since December, 2002 (the aircraft had the ability to carry passengers). On a passenger flight from Kinshasa to Lubumbashi, at an altitude of FL330 (i.e 33000 ft), the aircraft's rear cargo door opened, ejecting at least 140 occupants from the plane. The 140 occupants ejected died. The 60 people that remained onboard survived.