Aircraft Strikes Ground Short of Runway at M'Banza Kongo Airport (S9-TAN)

Approach and Impact Sequence During final approach to M'Banza Kongo Airport, the aircraft was too low and struck the ground 3,200 metres short of the runway. It reached a little altitude, then descended again and struck the ground a second time two metres short of the runway. On impact, the left main gear struck a drainage ditch and was torn off. The aircraft slid on the ground and veered to the right when the right wing struck a bus. All three crew members escaped with minor injuries, while seven people in the bus were killed. ## Official Findings The M'Banza Kongo runway is relatively short, requiring the crew to complete a low approach to be able to land as early as possible. In this case, the crew completed a too low approach, causing the aircraft to strike the ground twice before the runway threshold.