The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Accidents · NTSB DCA16WA081 · Preliminary: the investigation is not finished

Gulfstream G1159 accident near Kinshasa, Cd, November 1, 2015

On November 1, 2015 at about 6:56 am local time, a Gulfstream G1159, registered N9QCND, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Kinshasa. It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. No one was hurt; 26 people were on board or involved.

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
November 1, 2015 · about 6:56 am local time
Place
Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic) · map
Type
Accident
Injuries
No one was hurt; 26 people were on board or involved.
Weather
not recorded
Aircraft
Gulfstream G1159 · all G1159s on the register
Registration
N9QCND · no longer on the register
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules

The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record

The government of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has notified the NTSB of an accident involving a Gulfstream G1159 airplane that occurred on November 01, 2015. The NTSB has appointed a U.S. Accredited Representative to assist the government of DRC's investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13 as the State of Manufacturer and Design of the airplane. All investigative information will be released by the government of DRC.

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

  1. Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during initial climb defining event

The aircraft

  • Landing gear: fixed

Weather at the time

  • Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Cabi2
Flight crew2
Passengers22

Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report

The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.