AVIATION/ AFRICAN AIR L410 CRASHES IN DRC

Both Pilots onboard an AFRICAN AIR SERVICES COMMUTER Let 410 were killed on Monday, February 14, when the aircraft impacted the side of Mont Bienga, while enroute in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The L410, registration 9Q-CIF, was on Domestic Cargo Service from Kavumu-Bukavu Airport to Lusenge, DRC, on behalf of the World Food Program. Controllers at Kavumu-Bukavu Airport lost contact with the aircraft about 8 minutes after departure and the wreckage was later spotted on the Mountain. Officials are still trying to recover the victims and begin their investigation, however they are being hampered by the challenging location. All carriers from the Democratic Republic of Congo, including African Air Services Commuter, are banned from operating in the EU due to safety concerns. (SK NOTE: There are no known photographs of the Let L410 that went down).