On 26 August 2007, an Antonov An-32B crashed at Kongolo Airport in Kongolo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing 14 of the 15 people on board.[1]
Loaded with nine tons of cassiterite and other minerals and carrying 12 passengers and a crew of three, an Antonov An-32B operated by the Great Lakes Business Company took off from Kongolo Airport for a domestic flight to Goma International Airport in Goma on 26 August 2007. About ten minutes after takeoff, the aircraft experienced engine trouble, and the crew – composed of two Ukrainians and a Russian – attempted to return to Kongolo Airport. On approach to Kongolo Airport about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) short of the runway, the aircraft struck trees and crashed at about 16:00 local time. The wreckage caught fire. All three crew members and 11 of the 12 passengers died.[1]
The aircraft was a twin-engine Antonov An-32B (NATO reporting name "Curl"), manufacturer's serial number 14-07.[1] It had first flown in 1987 and was registered as 9Q-CAC.[1]
