1996 Air Africa Antonov An-32 crash

On 8 January 1996, a Moscow Airways Antonov An-32B operating on behalf of Air Africa overran the runway at N'Dolo Airport after attempting to take off overloaded. The aircraft was flying from Kinshasa to Kahemba, Zaire. The aircraft ploughed into Kinshasa's Simbazikita street market. Four of the six crew of the aircraft survived the accident. On the ground, however, it is estimated that there were between 225 and 348 fatalities, with more than 500 people injured. It was the deadliest aviation accident in African history until the 2018 Algerian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 crash, the deadliest to occur in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the deadliest accident in terms of ground fatalities, superseded only by the intentional crashes of American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 in the September 11 attacks in 2001.

Background

After decades of conflicts in sub-Saharan Africa, the air transport business is complex and often illegal. The aircraft was operated on behalf of Air Africa, chartered from Scibe Airlift, who in turn contracted Moscow Airways.

Around this time, Scibe Airlift, a company owned by Bemba Saolona with ties to President Mobutu Sese Seko, was found to be transporting arms to UNITA.

Accident

While attempting to take off fully fuelled and overloaded from N'Dolo Airport's short runway, the An-32B did not achieve sufficient speed to bring its nose up, yet began to lift. It crashed into the open-air Simbazikita produce market, full of shacks, pedestrians and cars, and its full fuel load ignited. The number of casualties cited varies from 225 (per the manslaughter charges) to 348.