Airjet Angola Embraer ERJ-145 erupts in flames after Kolwezi crash-landing, everyone onboard survives
November 18, 2025
An Embraer ERJ-145 operating on behalf of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s government was destroyed by fire following a landing accident at Kolwezi Airport in the far south of the country on 17 November.
All 29 people on board – 26 passengers and three crew – evacuated without injury.
Airjet Angola’s ERJ-145 destroyed by fire
The Airjet Angola aircraft, registered D2-AJB and manufactured in 2001, was conducting flight MBC100 from Kinshasa to Kolwezi with a stop in Lubumbashi.
It was transporting a delegation from the country’s Ministry of Mines scheduled to meet provincial authorities in response to a recent incident at the Kalando mining site.
During the approach to Kolwezi’s runway 29, the aircraft reportedly touched down short of the displaced threshold.
Airport authorities had issued a NOTAM advising pilots that the first 1,000 metres of runway 29 were closed for resurfacing work, reducing the available landing distance to 1,500 metres.
The aircraft made ground contact with the ground before reaching the temporary threshold, reports said.
The landing caused both main gear assemblies to fail, after which the aircraft slid several hundred metres before veering off the left side of the runway, initial reports indicated.
The aircraft came to rest at a perpendicular angle. A post-impact fire broke out, ultimately destroying the airframe. Videos captured the landing and evacuation from the burning aircraft, and photos showed the aftermath with the charred wreckage.
Despite the severity of the damage, all occupants were able to exit the aircraft unaided prior to the fire engulfing the fuselage.
Local emergency services are said to have responded swiftly, although the aircraft was declared a total loss.
Investigation launched into crash
Authorities in the DRC have initiated an investigation to determine the sequence of events leading to the accident.
The ERJ-145 was the sole aircraft of its type in Airjet Angola’s fleet, according to Planespotters.net.
The carrier also has a single ageing Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia and two elderly British Aerospace Jetstream 41s.
