(Posted 15th February 2022)
(Picture via Twitter, taken by @KivuNyota)
A fire developed shortly after take off from Bukavu’s airport in the aircraft cabin, forcing the crew aboard the LET410 cargo flight to return to Bukavu. Earlier reports had suggested that the fire had broken out while taxiing for take off. The 2 man crew escaped from the aircraft unharmed but the plane burned out and was destroyed. The incident took place late yesterday afternoon, 14th of February.
Registered as 9S-GFA, MSN 871921, the plane first entered service in 1987 and was according to information sourced owned by Doren Air Congo, one of the many Congolese airlines on the EU’s black list, banning them from flying into or over EU airspace.
The airline reportedly had earlier incidents, with a crash in August 2014 costing four lives and again in January 2017 when no casualties were reported.
Congo DR, besides South Sudan, have arguably the worst aviation records in Africa and time and again are fingers pointed at lax oversight by the regulators.
