Incident Overview
Date: Monday 8 February 1999
Aircraft Type: Lockheed L-188A Electra
Owner/operator: Air Karibu
Registration Number: 9Q-CDI
Location: Kinshasa –
ÿ Congo (Democratic Republic)
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Component Affected: No specific aircraft component is identified.No specific aircraft component is identified.
Category: Accident
An Electra aircraft chartered by the Congolese Armed Forces was lost during a flight to Mbandaka, resulting in a catastrophic crash near the Congolese Electricity Company. The aircraft was overloaded and carried live ammunition, including bombs, due to a pilot’s absence. The no. 3 engine was immediately shut down shortly after takeoff, leading to loss of altitude and control, resulting in a crash.An Electra aircraft chartered by the Congolese Armed Forces was lost during a flight to Mbandaka, resulting in a catastrophic crash near the Congolese Electricity Company. The aircraft was overloaded and carried live ammunition, including bombs, due to a pilot’s absence. The no. 3 engine was immediately shut down shortly after takeoff, leading to loss of altitude and control, resulting in a crash.
Description
The Electra plane was rented by the Congolese Armed Forces to transport fuel to Mbandaka. The aircraft, 6 tonnes overloaded, also carried live ammunition including bombs. Because no co-pilot was present, the flight engineer was performing duties of the co-pilot and a ground mechanic was performing duties of the flight engineer. Shortly after takeoff the no. 3 engine had to be shut down. The captain tried to return to the airport but the plane lost altitude and control, crashing some three minutes after takeoff, on the premises of the Congolese Electricity Company.
Primary Cause
Overloading and carrying live ammunition on an overloaded aircraft.Overloading and carrying live ammunition on an overloaded aircraft.Share on:
