2003 Ukrainian Cargo Airways Ilyushin Il-76 accident

May 2024 2003 aviation accident July 2020 2003 Ukrainian Cargo Airways Il-76 accident Accident UR-UCB Ilyushin IL.76 UCA Ukrainian Cargo Airways (7724256600).jpg 1.15 The aircraft involved in the accident, photographed in 2007 8 May 2003 Explosive decompression following opening of cargo door mid-flight Over Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo Ilyushin Il-76MD Ukrainian Cargo Airways UR-UCB Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo Lubumbashi International Airport, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo 160 – 350+ 6 Unknown 17 (Government officials) 60 (officials estimation) 129 (airport officials) 200 (survivors) At least 40 On 8 May 2003, an Ilyushin Il-76MD operated by Ukrainian Cargo Airways suffered an explosive decompression following the opening of the cargo door in mid-air while flying over Mbuji-Mayi. The aircraft was conducting a civilian transport flight from Kinshasa to Lubumbashi. Death toll estimates vary widely from 17 to 200. There were more than 160 people on board, of which, seventeen were confirmed dead by the Congolese government, while other officials estimated the deaths to be 60, 129 or 170 and some survivors claimed that as many as 200 people were killed.11 May 2003 200 feared dead in Congo air disaster http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2003/05/11/200-feared-dead-congo-air-disaster https://web.archive.org/web/20160807142021/https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2003/05/11/200-feared-dead-congo-air-disaster 7 August 2016 8 January 2017 SBS News Accident The incident occurred above the city of Mbuji-Mayi on the night of 8 May 2003. The aircraft was an Ilyushin Il-76 registered as UR-UCB and was operated by Ukrainian Cargo Airways, a Ukrainian state-owned charter airline company based in Kyiv. The two-hour flight was chartered by the military to transport soldiers and their families to Lubumbashi, home to a large Congolese military base and located in the south of the country in Haut-Katanga Province. The cargo compartment was full of passengers; many were sleeping in the middle section and near the cargo door. The aircraft had no proper seating, and there were only folding chairs in the cabin, with people "crammed onto benches and on the floor."Butcher Tim 10 May 2003 Passengers sucked out as doors fall off plane https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/democraticrepublicofcongo/1429703/Passengers-sucked-out-as-doors-fall-off-plane.html 8 January 2017 The Telegraph 8 January 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170108191619/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/democraticrepublicofcongo/1429703/Passengers-sucked-out-as-doors-fall-off-plane.html live About 45 minutes after takeoff from Kinshasa, at an altitude of 10,000 ft m, the cargo door of the Ilyushin Il-76 suddenly opened, blowing many passengers out of the aircraft. Several people were clinging to ropes, bags and netting on the interior wall of the plane. Survivors described the scene as chaotic, with passengers screaming and flying out of the open door. Several people who had been sleeping were awakened by other passengers' screams. They also claimed that the plane suddenly tilted to the left and right, causing more people to be ejected. Several people who had clung onto ropes lost their grips and were blown out to their deaths. A secured truck on the cargo hold may have saved many lives as it may have acted as a barrier.10 May 2003 Congo air disaster toll rising http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=3501239 8 January 2017 The New Zealand Herald10 May 2003 Survivors tell of Congo plane horror https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3016939.stm 8 January 2017 BBC News 8 January 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170108192420/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3016939.stm live One survivor described the commotion: "I was just next to the door and I had the chance to grab onto a ladder just before the door let loose." Another said, "I saw a soldier cradling a baby and a mother with a baby near the door suddenly just being wrenched into the darkness." The aircraft managed to return to Kinshasa after the incident. The Congolese government ordered an immediate search for the passengers who had been blown out of the aircraft. Survivors claimed that many people had disappeared after the incident, and stated that as many as 200 people, including women and children, were killed in the incident. Ukrainian defence ministry spokesman Konstantin Khyvrenko stated that no one was hurt in the accident, but survivors stated that many were injured by flying baggage and cargo. At least two pregnant women experienced miscarriages resulting from shock. The government only confirmed the deaths of 17 people, while officials estimated that as many as 60 may have been killed and airport officials placed the number of fatalities at 129. Aviation officials and western diplomats in Congo estimated that at least 170 people were killed in the incident. Of the more than 160 passengers in the cargo compartment, only about 40% returned to the airport.Sengupta Somini 11 May 2003 Death Toll Is Still Unclear in Air Disaster Over Congo https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/11/world/death-toll-is-still-unclear-in-air-disaster-over-congo.html 8 January 2017 The New York Times 8 January 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170108190352/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/11/world/death-toll-is-still-unclear-in-air-disaster-over-congo.html live Airport sources told news agencies that only the crew survived the accident.120 Feared Dead in DRC Plane Accident https://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-a-2003-05-09-24-120/395696.html 31 January 2025 Voice of America 9 May 2003 en Investigation An investigation was ordered immediately after the disaster. Information minister Kikaya Bin Karubi told Reuters that the Congolese Air Force and Army were investigating to determine whether the accident was the result of human error or a mechanical problem. Sergeant Kabmba Kashala said that the aircraft had taken off with the door improperly fastened and that the door had flung open after three failed attempts to fully shut it mid-flight. The pilot suggested that the door had opened either after one of the passengers tinkered with its controls, or because of a computer glitch. He stated that a passenger could have been "touching the button for special opening device".Astill James 9 May 2003 At 10,000 feet the door flipped open and scores of passengers were sucked out https://www.theguardian.com/business/2003/may/10/theairlineindustry.congo 8 January 2017 The Guardian 0261-3077 29 November 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121129104233/http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2003/may/10/theairlineindustry.congo live References External links Accident Description, Aviation Safety Network 06 09 S 23 36 E title Category:2000s disasters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Category:2003 disasters in Africa Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 2003 Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Category:2003 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Category:May 2003 in Africa Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Ilyushin Il-76 Category:Airliner accidents and incidents involving in-flight depressurization Category:Airliner accidents and incidents caused by in-flight structural failure Category:Democratic Republic of the Congo–Ukraine relations