Incident Overview

Date: Friday 27 July 2018
Aircraft Type: Antonov An-2R
Owner/operator: Air Kasai
Registration Number: 9S-GFS
Location: 3 km E of Kamako Airstrip – ÿ Congo (Democratic Republic)
Phase of Flight: Initial climb
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 7
Component Affected: Aircraft EngineAircraft Engine
Investigating Agency: BPEABPEA
Category: Accident
An Antonov An-2 aircraft crashed and burned 3 kilometers from Kamako, Democratic Republic of the Congo, resulting in the loss of seven persons on board. The pilot and passenger survived the accident. The aircraft was on a mixed cargo/passenger flight from Tshikapa to Kamako, Nsumbula, Diboko, and back to Tshikapa. The pilot noticed birds and lost engine power, leading him to steer into a valley. The aircraft impacted a tree canopy, causing a sudden stop in its course and resulting in a fall to the ground, with the cabin deformed and the emergency door being unable to open.An Antonov An-2 aircraft crashed and burned 3 kilometers from Kamako, Democratic Republic of the Congo, resulting in the loss of seven persons on board. The pilot and passenger survived the accident. The aircraft was on a mixed cargo/passenger flight from Tshikapa to Kamako, Nsumbula, Diboko, and back to Tshikapa. The pilot noticed birds and lost engine power, leading him to steer into a valley. The aircraft impacted a tree canopy, causing a sudden stop in its course and resulting in a fall to the ground, with the cabin deformed and the emergency door being unable to open.

Description

An aircraft operated by Air Kasai was destroyed when it crashed and burned 3 km from Kamako, Democratic Republic of the Congo. There are said to have been seven persons on board the aircraft. The pilot and passenger survived the accident. The Antonov An-2 operated on a mixed cargo/passenger flight from Tshikapa to Kamako, Nsumbula, Diboko and back to Tshikapa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. After take-off from Kamako, climbing to 3500 feet, the pilot noticed a flock of birds. Some minutes later, he noticed that the engine was beginning to lose power. Thinking that he had flown through a group of birds, he decided to return to Kamako Airstrip. The elevation of the land in this area varies between 2000 and 2500 feet of altitude. Without engine power, he began to lose altitude on the right downwind leg of the approach. Being unable to reach the Kamako, the pilot steered into a valley between two hills. During the attempted forced landing the aircraft hit a tree canopy and fell to the ground, bursting into flames. The pilot and the passenger next to him escaped with minor injuries. Conclusion Given all parameters, the only way the PIC thought of how to save the aircraft was to try to glide towards the valley between the hills. As the aircraft approached the ground, the canopy stopped its course and the aircraft fell and made sudden contact with the ground. The cabin was deformed and the passengers on board could not open the emergency door.

Source of Information

https://www.radiookapi.net/2018/07/27/actualite/societe/kasai-crash-dun-avion-pres-de-kamako, https://actualite.cd/2018/07/27/rdc-cinq-morts-dans-le-crash-dun-avion-a-kamako-tshikapa/, https://www.voaafrique.com/a/au-moins-cinq-morts-dans-le-crash-d-un-antonov-en-rdc/4502358.htmlhttps://www.radiookapi.net/2018/07/27/actualite/societe/kasai-crash-dun-avion-pres-de-kamako, https://actualite.cd/2018/07/27/rdc-cinq-morts-dans-le-crash-dun-avion-a-kamako-tshikapa/, https://www.voaafrique.com/a/au-moins-cinq-morts-dans-le-crash-d-un-antonov-en-rdc/4502358.html

Primary Cause

Pilot error ? steering into a valley during an attempted forced landing.Pilot error ? steering into a valley during an attempted forced landing.

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