Boeing 737 accident near Kwilu, Bandundu, Cd, April 29, 2009
On April 29, 2009 at about 8:00 am local time, a Boeing 737, registered TLADM, was destroyed in an accident near Kwilu, Bandundu. It was a ferry flight under non-U.S. private rules. 7 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 29, 2009 · about 8:00 am local time
- Place
- Kwilu, Bandundu, Congo (Democratic Republic) · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 7 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 200 · all 737s on the register
- Registration
- TLADM · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On April 29, 2009, about 0800 UTC, TL-ADM, a Boeing 737-200, operated by Bako Air of the Central African Republic, a ferry flight, crashed at the locality of Massamba, District of Kwilu, province of Bandundu, Democratic Republic of Congo. All seven occupants were fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed. The departure point was Brazzaville, Republic of Congo and the destination was Harare, Zimbabwe. The investigation is being conducted by the Ministry of Transport and Communication. The US NTSB has designated an Accredited Representative to support the investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Unknown or undetermined during unknown defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Bako Air
The flight
- Departed from: FCBB Harare at 7:42 am
- Destination: FVHA Harare
- Flight plan: not recorded
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 7 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.