 4L-GAE, the aircraft involved in the accident | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 4 April 2011 |
| Summary | Crashed during landing due to microburst-induced wind shear and pilot error |
| Site | N'djili Airport, Democratic Republic of the Congo 4°19′S 15°18′E / 4.317°S 15.300°E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Bombardier CRJ100ER |
| Operator | Georgian Airways on behalf of the United Nations |
| ICAO flight No. | UNO834 |
| Call sign | UNO 834 |
| Registration | 4L-GAE |
| Flight origin | Bangoka International Airport, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Destination | N'djili Airport, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Occupants | 33 |
| Passengers | 29 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Fatalities | 32 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Survivors | 1 |
On 4 April 2011, Georgian Airways Flight 834, a Bombardier CRJ100 passenger jet of Georgian Airways operating a domestic flight from Kisangani to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) crashed while attempting to land at Kinshasa Airport. The aircraft, which was chartered by the United Nations, was trying to land during a thunderstorm. Of the 33 people on board, only one person survived.[1][2] The incident remains as the United Nations' deadliest aviation disaster.[3] It is also the third-deadliest air disaster involving the CRJ100/200, behind Comair Flight 5191 and China Eastern Airlines Flight 5210.[4]
The government of the DRC set up an investigation commission to probe the crash. It concluded that the aircraft had encountered a microburst moments after initiating a go-around, causing it to rapidly lose its altitude. Even though the crew's weather radar had depicted severe weather activity around the airport, the crew didn't discontinue their flight to Kinshasa. Following the rapid altitude loss, the crew failed to recover the aircraft due to their very low altitude.[5]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
BBC12962210was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Sole survivor describes Congo crash". Television New Zealand. 6 April 2011. Archived from the original on 8 April 2011.
- ^ "Aviation Safety Network - United Nations - UN". ASN. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
- ^ "ASN Aircraft accident Canadair CL-600-2B19 Regional Jet CRJ-100ER 4L-GAE Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport (FIH)". Aviation Safety Network.
- ^ Investigation Report of Accident Involving Georgian Airways Aircraft CRJ-100ER (4L-GAE) at Kinshasa's N'Djili Airport, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on 04 April 2011 (PDF) (Report). Permanent Office of Investigations of Aviation Accidents/Incidents, Democratic Republic of Congo Ministry of the Transportation and Ways of Communication. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2019.