What happened
A flight originating from Leopoldville, destined for Angola, was operating with a crew of three—consisting of a pilot, a navigator, and a mechanic—along with one passenger. During the transit, the aircraft encountered unfavorable weather conditions. Due to the absence of a radiocompass and radio communication equipment, the pilot elected to divert to Thysville Airfield (present-day Mbanza-Ngungu).
Following a refueling stop, the twin engine airplane attempted takeoff from a grass runway measuring 593 meters in length. As the aircraft accelerated, it drifted off the runway into tall vegetation, which caused the right wheel to separate from the landing gear. Despite this mechanical failure, the plane reached a speed of 80 mph before the airspeed dropped to 60 mph. The pilot initiated a continuous left turn and attempted an emergency descent approximately 4 km southwest of the airfield. Upon coming to a stop, the aircraft caught fire and was completely destroyed. All four occupants managed to evacuate the wreckage uninjured.
Findings
While investigators could not reach a definitive conclusion regarding the accident, two primary theories were considered. It is possible that the aircraft was exceeding its maximum weight capacity, or alternatively, that the engines suffered from insufficient power output because of the use of 60/120 menasol, a fuel type commonly utilized in portable stoves.