Kenge plane crash investigation focuses on flight recorder recovery

Investigations are advancing in Kenge, Kwango province, following the fatal crash of a Let 410 UVP aircraft operated by TRACEP Congo Aviation on September 25, 2026. The flight was traveling from Kikwit to Kinshasa when it encountered technical difficulties, reportedly circling Kenge in an attempt to find an emergency landing site before crashing in the Manzaw neighborhood.

The accident resulted in the deaths of all 17 people on board, including 13 military personnel and four civilians. Among the deceased were high-ranking military officials, including Lieutenant General Joseph Mutombo Katalayi Tiende, President of the High Military Court, and Lieutenant General Lucien René Likulia Bakumi, Auditor General of the DRC Armed Forces. Recovery efforts were complicated by a post-impact fire.

In response to the tragedy, Tite Mund Ngaand, President of the Kwango Provincial Assembly, has called for increased government investment in provincial infrastructure. During a session on September 30, Ngaand highlighted the province's vulnerability regarding emergency response capabilities, specifically citing needs in healthcare, electricity, and transportation to better handle large-scale disasters.