Boeing 727 accident near Kisangani, Cd, July 8, 2011
On July 8, 2011 at about 1:11 pm local time, a Boeing 727, registered N9QCOP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kisangani. It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. 77 people were killed; 35 others were unhurt.
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
- July 8, 2011 · about 1:11 pm local time
- Place
- Kisangani, Congo (Democratic Republic)
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 77 people were killed; 35 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727 100 · all 727s on the register
- Registration
- N9QCOP · no longer on the register · serial 18323
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On July 8, 2011 about 1311 UTC (1511 local time), a Hewa Bora Airways Boeing 727-100, 9Q-COP, a domestic scheduled commercial flight, operating as Hewa Bora flight 952, collided with the ground during visual approach to runway 31 at Bangoka International Airport, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Preliminary information from the DRC indicates that of the 115 persons on board, there were 77 fatalities, including the three flight crewmembers and two of the four cabin crew. The airplane was destroyed and consumed by post-crash fire. The departure point was Kinshasa, DRC. An instrument flight plan was filed, and the weather was reported as heavy rain and poor visibility with thunderstorms in the vicinity of the airport. The investigation is being conducted by the Government of the DRC. All inquiries should be directed to them at: Direction de l'Aéronautique Civile Ministère des Transports et Communications Building Ontara, boulevard du 30 juin B.P. 3304 Kinshasa/Gombe République démocratique du Congo
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
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Hewa Bora Airlines
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 2 | 2 | ||
| Flight crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 70 | 33 |
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.