Dramatic Footage: Mines Minister Survives Embraer ERJ-145 Crash Landing at Congo's Kolwezi Airport

Video captures Embraer ERJ-145 crash landing at Kolwezi airport in DRC on November 17.

A frightening video documenting an Embraer ERJ-145 flight's crash landing in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Monday (November 17) has gone viral across social media platforms. The chartered aircraft was transporting the country's mines minister Louis Watum Kabamba to Kolwezi airport in the Lualaba region. The minister was scheduled to visit a nearby cobalt mine where 32 individuals had perished in a bridge collapse, according to BBC reporting.

The footage, lasting two minutes and 51 seconds, was recorded by a passenger and shows the aircraft descending with deployed flaps as it approached landing. However, the plane touched down before the displaced runway threshold, causing the main landing gear to collapse.

Terrified voices echoed throughout the cabin as the aircraft eventually halted off the runway, resting on its belly while flames erupted from the tail section. Fortunately, all passengers successfully evacuated moments before fire consumed the rear half of the aircraft.

Additional dramatic video footage of the incident revealed thick black smoke rising from the wreckage as officials fled in panic. Images of the registration and fuselage markings identified the aircraft as D2-AJB from Angolan operator Airjet's fleet.

According to FlightGlobal reporting, a NOTAM dated November 13 indicated that runway 29's threshold had been shifted by 1,000 meters due to ongoing construction work, leaving only 1,500 meters available for landing.

Congo's BPEA, the agency responsible for independent civil aviation accident investigations, launched an inquiry into the incident, stating that the aircraft had operated from Kinshasa N'Djili to Kolwezi via Lubumbashi. At Kolwezi, the plane skidded off the runway and caught fire. The agency confirmed there were no fatalities, noting only material damage occurred.

Watch The Video Here:

Passenger view of the ERJ145 crash landing at Kolwezi, 17 November 2025 by u/Giraffecaster in CatastrophicFailure

The minister and his delegation of approximately 20 individuals escaped the plane fire unharmed, according to a spokesperson for Kabamba who spoke with local media outlets.

"It should be emphasised that this air incident in no way affects the determination of...the minister, who has already begun technical meetings with the relevant authorities regarding the mission to Kalando and the necessary measures to support the affected communities," the Ministry of Mines declared in an official statement.