Varazdat Balasanyan, born in 1949 (captain of the crew)
Ara Tovmasyan,
Andranik Gevorgyan
Edgar Avetyan,
Tadeos Hovhannisyan

Two of the crew were not Armenian.

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The post Brazzaville Crash Pilot Named (update) first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

What: Aero-Services for Trans Air Congo Ilyhushin IL-76T freighter en route from Pointe Noire to Brazzaville
Where: Brazzaville
When: Nov 30 2012
Who: 30 fatalities, 14 injured *Death toll rises to 32
Why: A Trans Air Congo cargo jet landed in rainy conditions in Brazzaville, one report says the plane overran the runway, went through the airport fence, crossed a street and slammed by buildings into a ravine. It was reported that the brakes failed but the Congolese police said rainy weather was the cause. Another report says the landing failed and the pilot crashed when attempting to go-round.

The impact area is a residential area in the Mselou district of Brazzaville

The crew of the jet died in the crash as well as 19 on the ground, and fourteen injured were hospitalized at Makelekelele hospital, Center University Hospital and a military hospital.

Ownership of the plane has been reported all over the board:
1: Air Highnesses/Aero-Service leases the plane to Trans Air Congo. The plane was manned by an Armenian crew. Aero-Service is banned by the EU.
2: The Armenian company RIDGE AIRWAYS LLC, ARMENIA, RDG owns the plane, and it was flying for Aero-Service.

Video (French)

Metars reported

FCBB 301700Z 12007KT 050V170 4000 TSRA FEW010 BKN016 FEW026CB 24/22 Q1009 NOSIG
FCBB 301600Z 21013KT 6000 TS FEW010 BKN020 FEW030CB 30/23 Q1006 BECMG 06015G25KT 4000 TSRA

The post Brazzaville Cargo FLight Crash Fatalities Updated to 32 first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

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.

The post Congo Cargo Flight Smashes Town, 19 killed, 14 injured first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.