Crocodile Blamed For Congo Crash
10-21-2010, 02:03 PM
#1
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Crocodile Blamed For Congo Crash
From MSNBC:
A crocodile stashed in a duffel bag got loose on an airplane, frightened passengers and led to a crash that killed 20 people on board, according to an inquiry into the accident.
The lone survivor of the crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo told the story to investigators, the U.K.’s Telegraph reported on Thursday. A British pilot was among the dead.
The plane was on a routine domestic flight from the capital of Kinshasa to a regional airport in Bandundu when the bizarre tale unfolded on Aug. 25.
An unnamed passenger had hidden the crocodile in a large duffel bag with the intent of selling the reptile, according to the Telegraph. The animal escaped as the plane approached its destination.
Pandemonium ensued.
"The terrified air hostess hurried towards the cockpit, followed by the passengers," a report obtained by the Telegraph said. The plane then became unstable, "despite the desperate efforts of the pilot."
The plane crashed into a home a few hundred feet from the airport, though the people who lived in the residence were not in the house.
The crocodile reportedly survived the crash but was killed by a blow from a machete.
The aircraft belonged to Filair, a private carrier, and was a Czech-made Let L-410 twin turboprop.
At the time of the crash, media reports said the plane apparently ran out of fuel and couldn’t make a proper landing.
Congo’s domestic air service consists mainly of badly maintained Soviet-era aircraft with a dismal safety history, according to media reports. Air crashes are common in the Central African country.
A crocodile stashed in a duffel bag got loose on an airplane, frightened passengers and led to a crash that killed 20 people on board, according to an inquiry into the accident.
The lone survivor of the crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo told the story to investigators, the U.K.’s Telegraph reported on Thursday. A British pilot was among the dead.
The plane was on a routine domestic flight from the capital of Kinshasa to a regional airport in Bandundu when the bizarre tale unfolded on Aug. 25.
An unnamed passenger had hidden the crocodile in a large duffel bag with the intent of selling the reptile, according to the Telegraph. The animal escaped as the plane approached its destination.
Pandemonium ensued.
"The terrified air hostess hurried towards the cockpit, followed by the passengers," a report obtained by the Telegraph said. The plane then became unstable, "despite the desperate efforts of the pilot."
The plane crashed into a home a few hundred feet from the airport, though the people who lived in the residence were not in the house.
The crocodile reportedly survived the crash but was killed by a blow from a machete.
The aircraft belonged to Filair, a private carrier, and was a Czech-made Let L-410 twin turboprop.
At the time of the crash, media reports said the plane apparently ran out of fuel and couldn’t make a proper landing.
Congo’s domestic air service consists mainly of badly maintained Soviet-era aircraft with a dismal safety history, according to media reports. Air crashes are common in the Central African country.
10-22-2010, 05:31 AM
#2
time for crew rest
Joined APC: Jun 2008
Position: B777 Captain
Posts: 121
Originally Posted by vagabond
From MSNBC:
A crocodile stashed in a duffel bag got loose on an airplane, frightened passengers and led to a crash that killed 20 people on board, according to an inquiry into the accident.
The lone survivor of the crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo told the story to investigators, the U.K.’s Telegraph reported on Thursday. A British pilot was among the dead.
The plane was on a routine domestic flight from the capital of Kinshasa to a regional airport in Bandundu when the bizarre tale unfolded on Aug. 25.
An unnamed passenger had hidden the crocodile in a large duffel bag with the intent of selling the reptile, according to the Telegraph. The animal escaped as the plane approached its destination.
Pandemonium ensued.
"The terrified air hostess hurried towards the cockpit, followed by the passengers," a report obtained by the Telegraph said. The plane then became unstable, "despite the desperate efforts of the pilot."
The plane crashed into a home a few hundred feet from the airport, though the people who lived in the residence were not in the house.
The crocodile reportedly survived the crash but was killed by a blow from a machete.
The aircraft belonged to Filair, a private carrier, and was a Czech-made Let L-410 twin turboprop.
At the time of the crash, media reports said the plane apparently ran out of fuel and couldn’t make a proper landing.
Congo’s domestic air service consists mainly of badly maintained Soviet-era aircraft with a dismal safety history, according to media reports. Air crashes are common in the Central African country.
A crocodile stashed in a duffel bag got loose on an airplane, frightened passengers and led to a crash that killed 20 people on board, according to an inquiry into the accident.
The lone survivor of the crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo told the story to investigators, the U.K.’s Telegraph reported on Thursday. A British pilot was among the dead.
The plane was on a routine domestic flight from the capital of Kinshasa to a regional airport in Bandundu when the bizarre tale unfolded on Aug. 25.
An unnamed passenger had hidden the crocodile in a large duffel bag with the intent of selling the reptile, according to the Telegraph. The animal escaped as the plane approached its destination.
Pandemonium ensued.
"The terrified air hostess hurried towards the cockpit, followed by the passengers," a report obtained by the Telegraph said. The plane then became unstable, "despite the desperate efforts of the pilot."
The plane crashed into a home a few hundred feet from the airport, though the people who lived in the residence were not in the house.
The crocodile reportedly survived the crash but was killed by a blow from a machete.
The aircraft belonged to Filair, a private carrier, and was a Czech-made Let L-410 twin turboprop.
At the time of the crash, media reports said the plane apparently ran out of fuel and couldn’t make a proper landing.
Congo’s domestic air service consists mainly of badly maintained Soviet-era aircraft with a dismal safety history, according to media reports. Air crashes are common in the Central African country.
I worked at a USA airline many years ago that had a guy board one of our 727s with his huge albino snake smuggled in under his leather jacket (pre 911 obviously). It was a red-eye from LAX to MDW, and while he fell asleep in the back of the airplane his snake slithered up to the front galley while everyone slept. Soon the Captain had a terrified F/A in his cockpit telling him they had a white snake in the galley. The F/E was dispatched to investigate and found nothing. Needless to say the F/A didn't leave the cockpit. As the story goes, the guilty gentleman stopped at the galley on his way out asking if anyone had seen his snake. It was eventually found behind a galley cart.
10-22-2010, 05:53 AM
#3
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: FAA 'Flight Check'
Posts: 13,837
And thus was born the story line for 'SNAKES IN THE COCKPIT' - definitely one of the worst aviation related movies of all time in my opinion.
True life is usually much more interesting!
USMCFLYR
True life is usually much more interesting!
USMCFLYR
10-22-2010, 02:49 PM
#5
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2007
Position: Self employed
Posts: 3,048
Originally Posted by got2fly
Wow, that is Bizarre. I flew into Kinsasha recently. I didn't have any croc's on board (that I know of), but if the crocodiles don't get you, the Air Traffice Control (if you can call it that) will.
You know you're in Africa when a smuggled crocodile can kill you.
Even though the ATC is dismal, I can't think of a single accident caused by it.
10-25-2010, 07:03 AM
#6
Weekends off? HA!
Joined APC: May 2006
Posts: 991
Crocs on a plane...
Crocodile on plane kills 19 passengers
Remember your CG!
Crocodile on plane kills 19 passengers | News.com.au
Remember your CG!
Crocodile on plane kills 19 passengers | News.com.au
10-28-2010, 02:07 PM
#8
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2009
Posts: 441
Originally Posted by TonyWilliams
You know you're in Africa when a smuggled crocodile can kill you.
Even though the ATC is dismal, I can't think of a single accident caused by it.
Even though the ATC is dismal, I can't think of a single accident caused by it.
10-28-2010, 06:47 PM
#9
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2006
Position: Lovin' life at .4 (ish) mach
Posts: 1,317
Originally Posted by USMCFLYR
And thus was born the story line for 'SNAKES IN THE COCKPIT' - definitely one of the worst aviation related movies of all time in my opinion.
True life is usually much more interesting!
USMCFLYR
True life is usually much more interesting!
USMCFLYR
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