120 people sucked out of airplane

[Lincoln]

More than 120 people are feared dead in the Democratic Republic of Congo after being sucked out of a cargo plane.

Military officials are quoted as saying that the rear ramp of a plane became detached soon after it had taken off from the capital, Kinshasa, on an internal flight.

Airport sources told the BBC in Kinshasa that only the Russian crew members survived.

An inquiry is said to be under way.

Source: BBC

[Lincoln]

Here's more from the BBC:

The accident took place on Thursday night at an altitude of some 7,000 feet (2,200 metres) about 45 minutes after the plane took off.

The plane had been chartered by the military and was flying from Kinshasa to Congo's second city, Lubumbashi.

The Russian crew was able to turn the Ilyushin 76 around and land at Kinshasa airport following the incident.


A senior air force officer said an inquiry was under way.

There has not yet been any official comment from the government.

The BBC's Mark Dummett in Kinshasa says there are often plane accidents in the vast country.

He says the poor state of the roads and the terrible state of the economy means any journey over distance requires a hair-raising ride in a poorly-maintained aircraft.

[Az]

don't the Congolese have their own pilots?

[Traianvs]

Those Russian pilots have some guts to keep doing their jobs on those crap airplanes

[Az]

the 76 is a solid cargo plane. The problem is the lack of maintenance.

[Traianvs]

so,... => crap airplanes

[Az]

yeah, well.

[SlowwHand]

That's like saying if you wreck your car while you're drunk, it's the car's fault.

[MikeH]

More like saying if you buy a nice reliable car and drive it into the ground with no servicing for 20 years you shouldn't be surprised when it breaks down.

[MichaeltheGreat]

I wonder who was getting rid of what kind of political prisoners?

[Japher]

Maybe it was Canadian paratroopers? Forgot the guns, and the parachutes!

[chequita guevara]

Always wear your seatbelts, people.

[MRT144]

only in the DRC

[Sava]

this is terrible... how can anyone laugh about this?

[MichaeltheGreat]

I don't think it was an accident.

Not with all of them falling out. Perhaps if they were on the floor, bound at the hands, and the pilot climbed suddenly, but the rear cargo door opening in flight doesn't "suck people out."

A number of cargo planes have been designed to open at the rear in flight to drop cargo or paratroops, and crewchiefs, jumpmasters, etc. work back there.