What happened
During the climb phase following departure from Mbuji-Mayi Airport, the number one engine of the aircraft experienced an onboard fire. The flight engineer attempted to suppress the flames, but the fire could not be extinguished. As a result of the engine failure, the aircraft began to lose altitude and developed a significant left-side roll, reaching an angle of 85 degrees.
In an effort to manage the descent, the crew deployed the flaps to a 45-degree setting to stabilize the descent rate at 700 feet per minute. However, an asymmetric flap condition caused the descent to accelerate to 1,500 feet per minute. The aircraft continued to roll to the left until it reached a 110-degree angle while traveling at 98 knots. The captain then initiated an emergency landing procedure, but the aircraft ultimately impacted a prairie.
Findings
- The primary issue began with a fire in the number one engine.
- Asymmetric flap deployment prevented the crew from maintaining a controlled descent rate.
- The accident resulted in 23 injuries and the total destruction of the aircraft.