Accident Details
On February 12, 2012, at approximately 1120 UTC, a Gulfstream G-IV aircraft crashed at Bukavu-Kamenbe Airport (BKY) in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo. The airplane, registration N2SA, was operated by Trident Aviation of Wilmington, Delaware. The flight was a domestic private service that had departed from Kinshasa with an intermediate stop at Goma to pick up passengers and refuel. During the landing at BKY, the airplane overran the runway, went down an embankment, and came to rest in a ravine. There were 12 persons on board, including four fatalities: the pilot, the copilot, and two passengers. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, and no fire occurred.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft involved was a Gulfstream G-IV, a twin-engine business jet manufactured by Gulfstream Aerospace. The registration N2SA indicates it was registered in the United States. The operator was Trident Aviation, based in Wilmington, Delaware. No further details about the aircraft's maintenance history or crew qualifications were provided in the initial report.
Investigation
As the state of manufacture and registry of the airplane, the United States has appointed an Accredited Representative to participate in the investigation. The investigation is being conducted by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, through the Direction de l'Aéronautique Civile, part of the Ministère des Transports et Communications. All inquiries should be directed to that authority. At this stage, no probable cause has been determined.