Congo Cargo Flight Smashes Town, 19 killed, 14 injured

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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.