Beechcraft 1900C Accident at Agostinho Neto Airport (TN-AIQ)

Incident Overview and Investigation Authority On 19 September 2022, at approximately 18:55 local time, a Beechcraft 1900C with registration TN-AIQ, operated by Equaflight Service, was involved in an accident at Agostinho Neto Airport in Pointe-Noire, Republic of Congo. The aircraft was on a commercial passenger flight under instrument flight rules from Maya-Maya Airport in Brazzaville. The Republic of Congo's Bureau des enquêtes et des accidents d'aviation (BEA) opened safety investigation BEA-02-2022 in accordance with ICAO Annex 13 and national civil aviation regulations. Participating organizations included the U.S. NTSB, Canada's TSB, Textron Aviation, and France's BEA, which assisted with flight recorder analysis. ## Flight Progression and Landing Gear Anomaly The aircraft carried 16 passengers, two flight crew members, and one additional cabin crew member. During the final approach to runway 17, the crew initiated landing gear extension but did not receive a lock indication for the right main gear. A second normal extension attempt produced the same result. The crew then applied full power and informed air traffic control at 18:47. After a right downwind turn was approved, the emergency landing gear extension procedure was performed, and all three lock indicators illuminated, indicating the gear was deployed. At 18:53, the crew confirmed its intention to land, and the controller issued landing clearance. ## Impact, Damage, and Emergency Response At 18:55, the aircraft touched down on runway 17. During rollout, as the aircraft decelerated and load transferred from the wings to the landing gear, the right main gear began to retract. This caused the right propeller, trailing-edge flap, and right wingtip to contact the runway surface. The flight crew immediately declared a MAYDAY emergency. The controller, having observed sparks during the landing roll, alerted emergency services and activated the alarm. At 18:56, the crew explicitly requested fire assistance, and the controller reported that a rescue vehicle was approaching from behind the aircraft. The aircraft came to a stop 1,166 meters from the runway 17 threshold. The runway measured 2,620 meters in length and 45 meters in width, with a bare, dry asphalt surface. After the aircraft stopped, the captain ordered evacuation, and the first officer opened the main entrance to allow occupants to exit. The right wing fuel tank was punctured during the impact, and its contents spilled onto the runway in the stopping area. Two airport fire vehicles, initially stationed on emergency access road U1 approximately 1,000 meters from the runway threshold, reached the aircraft. Approximately 9,000 liters of water and 800 liters of emulsifier were used in the response.