What happened
On April 15, 2008, Hewa Bora Airways Flight 122 departed from Goma International Airport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, bound for Kisangani. The aircraft involved was a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51 registration 9Q-CBN. As the plane accelerated down runway 18/36, the number one engine experienced an uncontained failure and caught fire approximately 300 meters into the takeoff roll.
Due to the high elevation of Goma (1,551 meters) and the reduced length of the usable runway—compromised by previous volcanic activity from Mount Nyiragongo—the aircraft's maximum takeoff weight was significantly restricted. Despite these limitations, the plane failed to achieve lift before reaching the end of the paved surface. It overran the runway at 14:30 local time and crashed into the Birere market area on l'Avenue du 20 Mai, just south of the airfield.
The impact struck concrete homes, shops, and market stalls in a densely populated zone. The airport lacked functioning firefighting equipment, allowing the fire to spread rapidly. International agencies, including UN peacekeepers from the Indian Army, Médecins Sans Frontières, and the Red Cross, assisted in rescue efforts and crowd control.
Investigation
The crash occurred against a backdrop of severe regulatory issues. The European Union had banned all DRC airlines from its airspace due to safety concerns. Hewa Bora Airways held a temporary exemption for a Boeing 767, but this was revoked just days before the incident on April 11, 2008. The DC-9 involved was 31 years old and part of an aging fleet.
Investigations highlighted the critical role of infrastructure limitations. The runway length available for takeoff was estimated between 1,600 and 1,950 meters due to damage from the 2002 Nyiragongo eruption. This reduction forced a lower maximum takeoff weight, likely below 45 tonnes. Reports indicated that airports in the country still relied on colonial-era infrastructure, contributing to the inability to manage such emergencies effectively.
Findings
The primary cause was an engine fire leading to an uncontained failure during takeoff. Contributing factors included 47 fatalities (passengers and ground victims), the use of a reduced runway length due to volcanic damage, and the aircraft's age. The crash underscored the dangers of operating heavy aircraft from high-altitude airports with compromised infrastructure in conflict zones.