किन्शासा-एन'जिली आंतरराष्ट्रीय विमानतळावर मालवाहू डग्लस डीसी-८...

By GT24x7 Correspondents · 8 September 2026 · GlobalToday24x7

A rare Douglas DC-8 commercial freighter operated by Congolese cargo carrier Trans Air Cargo Service suffered a runway excursion while executing a landing at N'Djili International Airport (FIH) in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The aircraft, bearing civil registration 9S-AJO, veered off the paved surface of the active runway and came to a halt in the adjacent unpaved dirt terrain. Preliminary assessments confirm that the airframe sustained substantial structural damage, notably the collapse of the nose landing gear assembly and impact stresses along the forward lower fuselage. Emergency response teams reached the scene immediately, and no severe injuries or fatalities were reported among the crew members.

The incident has generated significant technical interest across the global aviation sector due to the historical profile and operational rarity of the Douglas DC-8 platform. Originally manufactured in 1971, the quad-jet aircraft has maintained an operational service life spanning over 56 years, operating under multiple international passenger and cargo carriers before being formally delivered to Trans Air Cargo Service in 2011. In recent years, commercial freight operations utilizing first-generation narrow-body jetliners have diminished globally, leaving Trans Air Cargo Service as one of the world's last remaining commercial operators maintaining active DC-8 line services.

Operational Assessment and Investigation

Aviation regulatory authorities and airport operations personnel at N'Djili International Airport have initiated formal inquiries to establish the root factors contributing to the incident:

* Excursion Dynamics: Initial technical reviews indicate that the crew encountered directional control difficulties following touchdown, resulting in the aircraft drifting beyond the lateral boundaries of the active runway into soft shoulder ground. * Structural and Component Stress: Ground inspection teams verified significant mechanical damage to the nose gear strut and localized structural strain caused by high-friction deceleration across uneven ground. * Regulatory Examination: The civil aviation administration of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in coordination with safety investigators, is examining local meteorological conditions, braking performance metrics, flight control telemetry, and runway surface parameters at the time of the event.

Given the extreme age of the aircraft, the limited availability of specialized structural replacement parts, and the high cost of heavy repairs, aviation analysts indicate that the damage to the forward gear and fuselage structure may pose considerable challenges to the continued operational viability of this vintage airframe.