Kolwezi: the investigation into the November 17th crash is in the data-gathering phase

Kinshasa, November 26^th, 2025 (CPA) – The phase of collecting data from the site of the November 17^th, 2025 crash in Kolwezi (south-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo) and from the relevant authorities has been started by investigators from the Bureau permanent d’enquêtes d’accidents et incidents d’aviation (the Permanent Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation) (Bpea), according to a document consulted on Wednesday by CPA. ‘So far, the investigations are at the level of collecting data from the site, from the relevant authorities and from the testimonies of passengers who had taken the flight, in accordance with international procedures’, it is read in the document from the Bpea Permanent Bureau. The office has specified that despite this mobilisation, the investigation remains limited. The flight recorders, in particular the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and the Flight Data Recorder (FDR), which are essential for understanding the causes of the accident, have not yet been transferred to a specialised laboratory. Furthermore, the source has reminded that in accordance with Annex 13, paragraph 5.18 of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the EASB must involve representatives of the States concerned, i.e. the State of registry, the State of operator, the State of design and the State of construction. But due to a lack of financial and logistical resources, this international cooperation is struggling to materialise. Despite being the guarantor of national aviation safety, BPEA finds itself unable to fully meet its obligations.  Bpea has also indicated that, for the past 13 years, it has received no subsidy from the Congolese government. The resolutions of the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) – ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) – Continuous Monitoring Method (CMA) of 2023 had nevertheless insisted on the need for financial independence to ensure the effectiveness and credibility of investigations. The Decree n°23/03 of February 20^th, 2023, amending the 2012 Decree, reaffirms this requirement, but in practice, the structure remains blocked. ‘At this stage, the structure is really blocked, it benefits neither from operating costs nor royalties but it is a structure of great importance in the field of national air safety’, has concluded the office.