Date:	Sunday 29 November 1964
Time:	19:20
Type:	Douglas DC-4
Owner/operator:	Air Congo
Registration:	OO-DEP
MSN:	18384
Year of manufacture:	1944
Total airframe hrs:	48113 hours
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 14
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	Léopoldville-N'Djili Airport (FIH) -   Congo (Democratic Republic)
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi
Departure airport:	Léopoldville-N'Djili Airport (FIH/FZAA)
Destination airport:	Kamina Airport (KMN/FZSA)
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The DC-4 was 900 m into takeoff when the pilot had to take action to avoid an empty fuel drum on the runway. The plane veered left, but the nose wheel hit the drum. The nose lifted off and the DC-4 was about to rotate when the fuel drum bounced against the right stabilizer, causing part of the stabilizer to be torn away. The aircraft became airborne and lost control, diving into the clearway at an angle of about 30 degrees, bouncing up and crashing 50 m farther. Leopoldville is now called Kinshasa.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The accident was brought about by impact with a fuel drum which caused partial destruction of the right elevator, thus rendering the aircraft uncontrollable in flight."

ICAO Aircraft Accident Digest No.16 - Volume III, Circular 82-AN/69 (125-128)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates