Accident Details
A twin-engine airplane departed Léopoldville on a regularly scheduled service to Boma with an intermediate stop in Luozi. On board were one pilot and six passengers, including a child. Following a normal approach, the aircraft touched down 560 metres past the runway threshold, which is marked by concrete curbs. The aircraft bounced several times and veered off course to the right. At the point where the curbs mark the end of the runway threshold, the right wing grazed the tall grass along the runway edge. Due to erosion caused by rainwater, the right wheel entered a dip between the runway surface and the right edge of the runway threshold. The impact of the right wheel against the concrete edge of the runway threshold further accentuated the rightward deviation, and the aircraft veered off the runway and entered the grassy lateral clearance area. After a course of about 30 metres, the left wheel struck a hole, causing the left main landing gear to collapse. The airplane came to a stop, bursting into flames. All seven occupants escaped; the pilot and a passenger were slightly injured. The airplane was totally destroyed by fire.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the accident resulted from a combination of the following factors: the pilot’s improper use of the runway (although a 1,172-meter runway was available, the pilot landed the aircraft 560 metres from the runway threshold); poor judgment on the part of the pilot, who should have either corrected the aircraft’s rightward deviation in a timely manner or taken off again when he realized the landing was being performed under defective conditions; and very poor piloting technique during the landing.