On December 24, 1980, a Douglas C-54 Skymaster (registration 9T-THU) operated by Zaire Air Force - Force Aérienne Zaïroise was involved in an aviation accident near Kinshasa-N'Djili, Democratic Republic of Congo during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft sustained irreparable damage due to a heavy landing during the arrival phase. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 3 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
An aircraft sustained irreparable damage after experiencing a heavy landing at Kinshasa-N’Djili Airport, resulting in no injuries.
What happened
During an arrival at Kinshasa-N’Djili Airport, an aircraft was involved in a landing incident that resulted in significant structural damage. The impact of the heavy landing caused the airframe to be damaged beyond repair.
Despite the severity of the impact, there were no injuries reported among the occupants on board during the event. The aircraft was subsequently removed from service due to the extent of the damage sustained during the touchdown phase.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to the destruction of the aircraft was the force of the heavy landing upon contact with the runway at Kinshasa-N’Djili Airport.
Probable cause
The aircraft sustained irreparable damage due to a heavy landing during the arrival phase.