Hewa Bora Airways Flight 952
Encyclopedia
Hewa Bora Airways
Flight 952 was a domestic scheduled passenger flight from N'djili Airport, Kinshasa
, Democratic Republic of the Congo to Bangoka International Airport
, Kisangani
. On 8 July 2011, the Boeing 727
operating the flight crashed on landing at Kisangani.
, c/n 18933, registration
9Q-COP. The aircraft had entered service with Lufthansa
on 29 September 1965 and had served with Condor Flugdienst, Jet Aviation
, Imperial Palace Air and the Government of Benin before it was acquired by Hewa Bora Airways in April 2010.
In 2004, the aircraft was operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo under the Swaziland
registration 3D-BOC. That registration was cancelled in 2005 and the aircraft was then operated under the São Tomé and Príncipe
register as S9-DBM, but without correct documentation and not officially on that register. In 2010, the aircraft was re-registered to the Democratic Republic of the Congo as 9Q-COP. At the time of the accident it had flown for 52,613 hours.
, Kisangani
, as it attempted to land during weather conditions that included heavy rain, and limited visibility. Thunderstorms were reported in the area. A total of 112 passengers were on board, as well as six crew members.
Initial reports said between 50 and 127 people were killed, but the airline later refused to give specific numbers because rescue operations were still ongoing. It only said there were both fatalities and survivors. The number of survivors was put at between 42 and 53. According to Mario-Real Shutsha, Congo's secretary general, a total of 74 people have died, and 44 have survived. An early investigation showed that five victims were not originally included on the plane's manifest, with the CEO
of Hewa Bora Airways Stavros Papaioannou stating that some people were using tickets registered under other names to fly.
Casualties included the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Isangi, Camille Lembi Zaneli
.
(CVR) or Flight Data Recorder
(FDR). It found that the captain of the aircraft and the tower controllers were not licenced. The tower gave false weather information to the flight crew, which also misjudged the weather. The airport was found to be lacking security plans. Radio communications from the control tower were not recorded as both recorders were broken. The American National Transportation Safety Board
assisted in the investigation, handling the retrieval of the data from the CVR and FDR.
, citing repeated accidents suffered by the airline, including the accidents suffered by Flight 122 on 15 April 2008 and an accident involving Flight 601 at N'djili Airport on 21 June 2010.
Hewa Bora Airways
Hewa Bora Airways was an airline based in Barumbu, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was one of Congo's largest airlines and operates regional and domestic services. Its main base was N'djili Airport. "Hewa Bora" is Swahili for "Fresh Air". The company was on the European Commission's...
Flight 952 was a domestic scheduled passenger flight from N'djili Airport, Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
, Democratic Republic of the Congo to Bangoka International Airport
Bangoka International Airport
Bangoka International Airport is an airport in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo.From November 2009 until June 2011 Kenya Airways connected Bangoka International Airport to Nairobi three times a week...
, Kisangani
Kisangani
Kisangani is the capital of Orientale Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the 3rd largest urbanized city in the country and the largest of the cities that lie in the tropical woodlands of the Congo....
. On 8 July 2011, the Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
operating the flight crashed on landing at Kisangani.
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 727-30Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
, c/n 18933, registration
Aircraft registration
An aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
9Q-COP. The aircraft had entered service with Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
on 29 September 1965 and had served with Condor Flugdienst, Jet Aviation
Jet Aviation
Jet Aviation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics , was founded in Switzerland in 1967 and is one of the leading business aviation services companies in the world. Close to 5,000 employees cater to client needs from 26 airport facilities throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North...
, Imperial Palace Air and the Government of Benin before it was acquired by Hewa Bora Airways in April 2010.
In 2004, the aircraft was operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo under the Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
registration 3D-BOC. That registration was cancelled in 2005 and the aircraft was then operated under the São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about apart and about , respectively, off...
register as S9-DBM, but without correct documentation and not officially on that register. In 2010, the aircraft was re-registered to the Democratic Republic of the Congo as 9Q-COP. At the time of the accident it had flown for 52,613 hours.
Accident
At about 15:00 local time, Flight 952 crashed about 200 metres (218.7 yd) from Bangoka International AirportBangoka International Airport
Bangoka International Airport is an airport in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo.From November 2009 until June 2011 Kenya Airways connected Bangoka International Airport to Nairobi three times a week...
, Kisangani
Kisangani
Kisangani is the capital of Orientale Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the 3rd largest urbanized city in the country and the largest of the cities that lie in the tropical woodlands of the Congo....
, as it attempted to land during weather conditions that included heavy rain, and limited visibility. Thunderstorms were reported in the area. A total of 112 passengers were on board, as well as six crew members.
Initial reports said between 50 and 127 people were killed, but the airline later refused to give specific numbers because rescue operations were still ongoing. It only said there were both fatalities and survivors. The number of survivors was put at between 42 and 53. According to Mario-Real Shutsha, Congo's secretary general, a total of 74 people have died, and 44 have survived. An early investigation showed that five victims were not originally included on the plane's manifest, with the CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Hewa Bora Airways Stavros Papaioannou stating that some people were using tickets registered under other names to fly.
Casualties
The casualties of the flight were:| Killed | Survivors | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Passengers | 70 | 42 | 112 |
Casualties included the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Isangi, Camille Lembi Zaneli
Camille Lembi Zaneli
Camille Lembi Zaneli was the Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Isangi, Democratic Republic of the Congo....
.
Investigation
An investigation was opened into the accident. A preliminary report was issued which did not include data gained from the Cockpit Voice RecorderCockpit voice recorder
A cockpit voice recorder , often referred to as a "black box", is a flight recorder used to record the audio environment in the flight deck of an aircraft for the purpose of investigation of accidents and incidents...
(CVR) or Flight Data Recorder
Flight data recorder
A flight data recorder is an electronic device employed to record any instructions sent to any electronic systems on an aircraft. It is a device used to record specific aircraft performance parameters...
(FDR). It found that the captain of the aircraft and the tower controllers were not licenced. The tower gave false weather information to the flight crew, which also misjudged the weather. The airport was found to be lacking security plans. Radio communications from the control tower were not recorded as both recorders were broken. The American National Transportation Safety Board
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
assisted in the investigation, handling the retrieval of the data from the CVR and FDR.
Aftermath
The Ministry of Transport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo suspended Hewa Bora Airways Air Operator's CertificateAir Operator's Certificate
An air operator's certificate is the approval granted from a national aviation authority to an aircraft operator to allow it to use aircraft for commercial purposes. This requires the operator to have personnel, assets and system in place to ensure the safety of its employees and the general public...
, citing repeated accidents suffered by the airline, including the accidents suffered by Flight 122 on 15 April 2008 and an accident involving Flight 601 at N'djili Airport on 21 June 2010.
