Congo Crash Update

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    Congo: Filair Crash kills 21

    What: Filair Let 410 en route from Semendwa to Bandundu
    Where: Bandundu Congo
    When: August 25 2010
    Who: 21 aboard (18 passengers 3 crew), 20 fatalities
    Why: The preliminary information says that the plane was unable to land, and ran out of fuel. Landing short of the runway, the plane struck a building, killing two children inside.

    The Let is a Czeck turboprop.

    The Filair is based in Kinshasa. It’s fleet is reputed to be poorly maintained and is on the nofly list. The plane’s owner Danny Philemotte was piloting and died in the crash.

    19 bodies were recovered and two survivors. One survivor died in the hospital. One survivor is hospitalized and in critical condition.

    A survivor said that the crew had been told to land on a “reserve strip” beside the main runway. The passengers panicked, running to one side and unbalancing the plane, and the pilot lost control. Apparently fuel was not the issue (150 liters liters recovered from the crash.)

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    Single Survivor Pulled from Crash


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Robert Matthews

    What: United Nations – UN/Georgian Airways Canadair CL600 2B19 Regional Jet CRJ-100ER on the return trip from Kinshasa-N’Djili Airport (FIH) to Kisangani (FKI) and Entebbe (and back)
    Where: Kinshasa-N’Djili Airport, Congo
    When: 04 APR 2011 2 pm.
    Who: 4 crew, 29 passengers
    Why: On landing in Kinsasha, the United Nations plane encountered rainy weather and crashed at the end of the runway, breaking into several pieces. Witnesses say the plane encountered windshear at 65 feet and fell straight down. At least eight were thrown from the plane when it broke. There were 32 fatalities. There was one survivor. The crew was composed of Georgians.

    The rain helped put out the fire, according to firefighters. The black box was recovered.

    The lone survivor, Francis Mwamba, a Congolese journalist, was taken to Biamba Marie Mutombo hospital.

    The plane was also reported as a Fokker.

    Airzena Georgian Airways made this statement:

    “Airzena Georgian Airways” regrets to confirm an accident occurred at Kinshasa airport, capital of Democratic Republic of Congo on 4 April, 10 at 13:00 GMT.The flight was operated under UN mission by aircraft of type CRJ-100 enroute from Goma to Kinshasa. The landing was performed in adverse weather conditions. The aircraft sufferred crash landing, broke up into parts and caught fire.

    According to the currently available information crew and passengers died in the accident. The number is specified.

    The accident is being investigated officially to determine its possible cause.

    “Airzena Georgian Airways” is deeply shocked about the accident and expresses its condolences to the family members of the perished.


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    Fatalities Rise in Congo Crash, ATC Trainee at Fault?


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Guido Potters

    What: Hewa Bora Airways Boeing 727-100 en route from Kinshana N’Djili to Kisangani (Democratic Republic of Congo)
    Where: Kisangani
    When: Jul 8th 2011
    Who: 112 passengers and 6 crew
    Why: Attempting to land in heavy rain, limited visibility, thunderstorms in the area, the plane broke up on impact, and came to rest 984 feet from the runway. The plane struck a tree about 1000 meters short of runway 13.

    53 survived the crash. Emergency services rescued 43. Two flight attendants were the only surviving crew.

    85 died as a result of the crash. Prior to this posting, the number of reported dead grew from 46 to 68 to 85. *

    The cause of the crash has been attributed to a mistake by a trainee air traffic controller but ATC service provider at Kisangani Airport, denies allegations of controller error.

    Update: Hewa Bora’s license “has been suspended until further notice.”

    The captain had a total experience of 7,000 hours with around 5,000 hours on the Boeing 727.

    Survivors are in hospital care in various hospitals of Kisangani

    *Current death toll is 85

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    UN Plane Crashes in Stormy Congo


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Robert Matthews

    What: United Nations/Georgian Airways Canadair CL-600-2B19 Regional Jet CRJ-100ER en route from Kinshasa-N’Djili Airport (FIH) to Kisangani (FKI) and Entebbe (EBB), Uganda and back.
    Where: Kinshasa-N’Djili Airport (FIH) Congo
    When: 04 APR 2011 2 pm local time
    Who: 29 passengers 3 crew
    Why: On the final leg of the flight, the plane crashed in rainy weather. The pilot attempted a landing in heavy rain, and broke in two. There were some who initially survived who were taken to Biamba Marie Mutombo hospital in the town of Masina, which is fifteen minutes from the Kinshasa airport. Twenty UN workers were aboard. The plane ignited on contact.

    One person survived the crash according to a UN Farhan Haq spokesman.

    * A second source said the plane was a Fokker 834.


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    Ukrainian Pilots die in Congo Helicopter Crash

    What: Mil Mi-2
    Where: Mbouambe,Brazzaville, Congo
    When: July 16, 2012
    Who: 2 aboard, 2 fatalities
    Why: A police Mi-2 helicopter crashed in the Congo. The two pilots, both Ukranian, were killed in the crash. The bodies of the pilots have been recovered and were sent to Brazzaville morgue. The Ukrainian Defense minister reported that the pilots were n ot part of a Ukrainian peacekeeping operation, but may have been employed by a Russian or Belarusian airline or employed by the UN.

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    Congo Cargo Flight Smashes Town, 19 killed, 14 injured


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Alan LebedaWhat: Trans Air Congo Antonov AN-12 en route from Brazzaville to Pointe Noire
    Where: between the Roy and Kitoko area in Mvou-Mvou, Pointe-Noire, Congo
    When: Mar 21st 2011 3:30pm
    Who: 19 killed, 14 injured.
    Why: The crew attempted an emergency landing on the sea but failed. The attempted landing was less than successful although there are reports that the pilot managed to get out of the plane before it stopped.

    They were over a residential area and had been cleared to land when the Antonov AN-12 struck the residential neighborhood Mvou-Mvou. After striking buildings, the plane caught fire.

    Although the plane was not permitted to carry passengers, it appears that there were 5 passengers aboard in addition to the 4 Russian crew members. Twenty buildings were destroyed (burned and covered in debris), including residences and a school. The ICAO had reported the plane TN-AGK as not airworthy in 2006. (It is certainly not airworthy now.) The plane is a total loss.

    While some news reports say that the number of injured were passengers, other reports say that there were 9 aboard, and that the rest of the injured and casualties were in Mvou-Mvou at the time of the crash. The weather conditions were said to be “good” at the time. There was apparently a technical problem which caused them to attempt to ditch in the ocean, (or a technical problem preventing them from landing in the ocean). The cause of the crash is unresolved. It is being investigated.

    Trans Air Congo is based in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo.


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