On April 3, 2004, a Canadair CL-66 Cosmopolitan (registration 3D-ZOE) operated by Central African Cargo was involved in an aviation accident near Shabunda, Democratic Republic of Congo during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The nose gear collapsed due to the impact force of a hard landing. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
An aircraft experienced a hard landing at Shabunda Airport, resulting in the collapse of the nose landing gear and significant damage to the airframe.
What happened
During an approach to Shabunda Airport, an unidentified aircraft experienced a heavy impact with the runway surface. The force of this hard landing caused the nose gear to fail and collapse. Following the structural failure of the landing gear, the aircraft came to a stop on the runway.
While the incident resulted in the aircraft being damaged beyond repair, there were no injuries reported among the occupants. The specific circumstances leading to the high-impact landing remain undetermined.
Findings
The primary factor in the structural damage was the collapse of the nose gear following a hard landing.
Probable cause
The nose gear collapsed due to the impact force of a hard landing.