2010 Bandundu Filair Let L-410 crash
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Bandundu Filair Let L-410 crash occurred on August 25, 2010, after a Filair
aircraft crashed on approach to Bandundu Airport
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
, killing 20 people.
has several airlines that fly poorly-maintained old Soviet era aircraft. All the country's airlines have been blacklisted by the European Union
, and accidents occur frequently. There are very few roads in the country after years of corruption and civil war, forcing the poor to use old aircraft and boats to travel.
, an Estonia
n airline, until 2007, and was stored until Filair bought it in 2009.
, Kinshasa
to Bandundu Airport
, Bandundu
, Mai-Ndombe District
. At 13:00 local time
(12:00 UTC
), the aircraft crashed into a house approximately 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) short of the runway at Bandundu. According to most sources, no one was injured on the ground. Of twenty-one people aboard the plane, one survived the crash. Local Radio Okapi
reported that the aircraft ran out of fuel after being unable to land at Bandundu, but Filair later declared that 150 litres of kerosene were still on board, affirming that a technical problem had caused the crash. Daniel Philemotte, the Belgian
airline owner, was at the controls of the aircraft himself. Most of the dead were Congolese. Soldiers of MONUC were the first to reach the crash site and reported that no explosion appeared to have occurred, supporting the original hypothesis of fuel scarcity.
The lone survivor of the crash claimed that a crocodile
hidden in a duffel bag
had escaped. The frightened passengers then moved towards the front of the aircraft away from the crocodile. This affected the aircraft weight and balance leading to a loss of control. The crocodile escaped as the plane approached its destination. The crocodile reportedly survived the crash but was killed by a blow from a machete.
Filair
Filair is an airline based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its operates from N'Dolo Airport, in Kinshasa. The airline is on the list of air carriers banned in the European Union, as are all airlines regulated by the authorities in the DRC....
aircraft crashed on approach to Bandundu Airport
Bandundu Airport
Bandundu Airport is an airport serving Bandundu, a city in the Bandundu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.-Facilities :The airport resides at an elevation of above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 11/29 with an asphalt surface measuring .-Accidents and incidents:Two...
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
, killing 20 people.
Background
The Democratic Republic of the CongoDemocratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
has several airlines that fly poorly-maintained old Soviet era aircraft. All the country's airlines have been blacklisted by the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, and accidents occur frequently. There are very few roads in the country after years of corruption and civil war, forcing the poor to use old aircraft and boats to travel.
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was a Let L-410 Turbolet, registered 9Q-CCN, with construction number 912608. It normally carries up to 19 passengers. The aircraft involved was previously registered ES-LLB, and was operated by AirestAirest
Airest is an Estonian-owned airline that started in January 2002, operating regular cargo and charter passenger flights on a Tallinn-Helsinki route, since 1995 for UPS as the only UPS link to Estonia.- Fleet :...
, an Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n airline, until 2007, and was stored until Filair bought it in 2009.
Accident
The aircraft was operating a passenger flight from N'Dolo AirportN'Dolo Airport
N'Dolo Airport , also known as Ndolo Airport, is a secondary airport in the city of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, located in the commune of Barumbu near the city center....
, Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
to Bandundu Airport
Bandundu Airport
Bandundu Airport is an airport serving Bandundu, a city in the Bandundu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.-Facilities :The airport resides at an elevation of above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 11/29 with an asphalt surface measuring .-Accidents and incidents:Two...
, Bandundu
Bandundu
Bandundu, formerly known as Banningville or Banningstad, is a city in Bandundu Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Bandundu is the capital of Bandundu Province. It is located on the north bank of the Kwango River, just below the juncture of the Kwango and the Kwilu, 8 km upstream from...
, Mai-Ndombe District
Mai-Ndombe District
Mai-Ndombe District is a district located in the Bandundu province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo....
. At 13:00 local time
UTC+1
UTC+01:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +01:00. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as .This time is used in:*Central European Time*West Africa Time*Western European Summer Time**British Summer Time**Irish Standard Time...
(12:00 UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
), the aircraft crashed into a house approximately 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) short of the runway at Bandundu. According to most sources, no one was injured on the ground. Of twenty-one people aboard the plane, one survived the crash. Local Radio Okapi
Radio Okapi
Radio Okapi is a radio network that operates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On an annual budget of US$4.5 million, a staff of 200 provide news and information to the entire urban population of the DRC.-History:...
reported that the aircraft ran out of fuel after being unable to land at Bandundu, but Filair later declared that 150 litres of kerosene were still on board, affirming that a technical problem had caused the crash. Daniel Philemotte, the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
airline owner, was at the controls of the aircraft himself. Most of the dead were Congolese. Soldiers of MONUC were the first to reach the crash site and reported that no explosion appeared to have occurred, supporting the original hypothesis of fuel scarcity.
The lone survivor of the crash claimed that a crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
hidden in a duffel bag
Duffel bag
A duffel bag is a large cylindrical bag made of cloth with a drawstring closure at the top....
had escaped. The frightened passengers then moved towards the front of the aircraft away from the crocodile. This affected the aircraft weight and balance leading to a loss of control. The crocodile escaped as the plane approached its destination. The crocodile reportedly survived the crash but was killed by a blow from a machete.
Investigation
Transportation vice-minister Laure Marie Kawanda Kayena stated that an investigation had been opened into the accident. According to a government spokesman, there has been no confirmation that fuel shortage caused the crash.See also
- Hewa Bora Airways Flight 122