What happened
On the flight route from Kindu to Bukavu, a twin-engine aircraft serving the Institut Géographique du Congo Belge (IGCB) experienced a fatal accident shortly after departing Kindu Airport. While performing a left-hand turn intended to follow the valley toward its destination, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent. During this maneuver, the plane became inverted and struck a wooded area near the airport in a nose-down attitude. The impact caused the aircraft to burst into flames, resulting in the total destruction of the airframe. There were four fatalities among the crew, which included the pilot, a navigator, a mechanic, and a photographer.
Findings
Investigators were unable to establish a definitive cause for the accident, noting that weather conditions at the time were favorable. However, the position of the aircraft at the moment of impact confirmed it was out of control. One theory suggests that a simultaneous loss of power in both engines may have occurred during the turn, leading to an aerodynamic stall and subsequent roll. An inspection of the engines indicated that such a loss of power would likely have been caused by a failure in the fuel supply. A potential contributing factor identified was a pilot error regarding fuel tank selection.