Incident
On the day of the accident, at 1205 local time, an aircraft was overflying the Kasai province when it experienced a technical problem with its right engine. A propeller blade separated from the engine and penetrated the cabin. The aircraft subsequently went out of control, nosed down, and crashed two minutes later in the Dibata forest, approximately 20 kilometers from Kikwit. All 15 occupants were killed in the crash.
Occupants
The crew consisted of pilot Michael Joseph Adendorff, radio navigator Pierre Bisschop, and mechanic Willy Fauck. The passengers were Françoise Devos, Pierre Devos, Mercédès Dumont, André Hubens, Albert Lemaire, Mrs. Albert Lemaire, Claude Lemaire, Anne-Marie Lemaire, Norman Orne, André Paquay, Mrs. André Paquay, and Jacqueline Sailliez.
Investigation
The official investigation determined that the propeller blade severed the cables used to control the elevator, which resulted in the loss of control. Further investigation indicated that the sudden shutdown of the right engine was caused by the upper half of the main connecting rod head becoming jammed between the crankshaft counterweight and the crankcase at the opening of cylinder number 14. The initial cause of the observed malfunctions was the fracture of a lug on piston number 6.