2010 Filair Let L-410 crash
The Let L-410 crash site | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 25 August 2010 |
| Summary | Loss of control for undetermined reasons (possibly a crocodile entering cabin during final approach, leading to sudden center of gravity shift) |
| Site | Near Bandundu Airport, Bandundu, Democratic Republic of the Congo 3°18′40″S 17°22′24″E / 3.31111°S 17.37333°E |
| Aircraft | |
| A Let-410 of Filair, similar to the accident aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Let L-410UVP-E20C |
| Operator | Filair |
| Registration | 9Q-CCN |
| Flight origin | N'Dolo Airport, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| 1st stopover | Basango Mboliasa Airport, Kiri, DRC |
| 2nd stopover | Bokoro Airport, Bokoro, DRC |
| 3rd stopover | Semendua Airport Semendwa, DRC |
| 4th stopover | Bandundu Airport, Bandundu, DRC |
| Destination | N'Dolo Airport, Kinshasa, DRC |
| Occupants | 21 |
| Passengers | 18 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Fatalities | 20 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Survivors | 1 (also 1 crocodile) |
On 25 August 2010, a Let L-410 Turbolet passenger aircraft of Filair crashed on approach to Bandundu Airport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing all but one of the 21 people on board.
From a statement by the sole survivor, the accident was possibly the result of the occupants rushing to the front of the aircraft to escape from a crocodile smuggled on board by one of the passengers. The move compromised the aircraft's balance to the point that control of the aircraft was lost. However, some sources doubt this claim.