A military helicopter crash at Ndolo Airport in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), killed all crew members on board Wednesday, according to local media reports citing the DRC’s Airway Authority (RVA).
The Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) helicopter crashed around 11 a.m. local time on the airport’s runway. All three expatriate crew members—the pilot, co-pilot, and technician—lost their lives in the incident.
Local reports indicate that the pilot was found strapped in his seatbelt and died instantly, while the other two crew members succumbed to their injuries en route to a nearby hospital.
General Fae Ngama, a FARDC commander, confirmed the fatalities to the Congolese Press Agency, the DRC’s official media outlet.
Christophe Lomami, mayor of the Barumbu commune where Ndolo Airport is located, also confirmed the crash, adding that the cause remains under investigation.
The FARDC has yet to release an official statement regarding the incident.