What happened
During the final approach to Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport, the flight crew notified air traffic control that the aircraft was experiencing a mechanical failure involving the nose landing gear. The crew reported that the nose gear remained trapped within the wheel well and was unresponsive to both standard and manual extension procedures.
As a result of the gear being stuck, the aircraft performed a landing on its nose. Upon contact with the runway, the plane slid along the surface before the motion eventually ceased. While the incident resulted in no fatalities or injuries, the impact and subsequent slide caused extensive damage to the airframe, rendering the aircraft a total loss.
Findings
- The nose gear failed to deploy despite attempts at manual override.
- The aircraft's landing configuration was incomplete at the time of touchdown.