2002 Prestige Airlines Boeing 707 crash

The international flight was carrying passengers and a load of onions and garlic from Chad to the Central African Republic. There were 17 Chadian passengers on board.[2] The Boeing belonged to a small airline New Gomair, owned by local businessmen, but was chartered by Prestige Airlines at the time of the accident.[2]

On final approach to Bangui, the aircraft descended until it contacted the ground. The crash occurred in clear weather at about 11:15 a.m. in the Guitangola neighborhood, two miles short of the Bangui Airport's runway.[3][4] The aircraft exploded upon touchdown, scattering wreckage and reportedly causing the roof of an empty house to collapse.[3]

The two survivors were engineer Laurent Tabako and a woman from Chad, both were admitted to a hospital.[2] According to Tabako, the engines stopped before landing and the crew may have dumped too much fuel before an emergency landing.[2] The witnesses reportedly did not hear the usual engine noise during the crash and saw no flames when the aircraft disintegrated.[2] The aircraft's flight recorder and voice recorder were recovered and an investigation was launched by the government of the Central African Republic.[2]