DRC Military Jet Crash Kills 13 in Kwango; Aviation Herald Revokes 2025 Go2Sky Report

Key points

• Thirteen individuals, including three army officers and General Likulia Bakumi, died when a military plane crashed in Kenge, Kwango province, on September 25, 2026.
• The aircraft was en route from Kikwit to Kinshasa when it encountered a technical problem and attempted an emergency landing at a location without a landing strip.
• Twelve victims were burned beyond recognition, while the pilot's body was found outside the wreckage; Congo's aviation authority has launched an investigation.
• The Aviation Herald revoked a July 2025 statement claiming a Go2Sky Boeing 737 had engine trouble at Zakynthos, citing court proceedings in Salzburg, Austria.
• The revocation was issued by media owner NOMIS SOFT and author Simon Hradecky, acknowledging that no engine trouble occurred during the incident in question.

Background

This crash follows a series of recent aviation incidents, including a fatal Cessna 441 crash in Alaska in August 2026 and an Apache helicopter crash in Texas. The Aviation Herald's revocation relates to a 2025 defamation suit by Go2Sky, which previously forced founder Simon Hradecky to sell his home to cover legal costs. The current revocation is a formal correction to a specific 2025 report, distinct from the new DRC crash.

How outlets are covering it

ARN News Centre, citing Reuters, focuses on the immediate human toll and official statements from the Kwango vice governor regarding the DRC crash. The Aviation Herald provides a legal correction regarding a past reporting error, emphasizing the outcome of the Austrian court case. The two sources cover entirely different events: one is a current fatal accident in Africa, and the other is a retrospective legal correction in Europe. There is no overlap in the specific incidents, but both highlight the critical nature of accurate aviation reporting and safety investigations.

Why it matters

The DRC crash underscores the risks of emergency landings in areas lacking proper infrastructure, resulting in a total loss of life. The Aviation Herald's revocation highlights the legal and financial consequences of inaccurate aviation reporting, serving as a cautionary tale for media outlets regarding the verification of technical incidents. Both events emphasize the importance of rigorous accident investigation and accurate public communication in the aviation sector.

What to watch

Congo's aviation accident investigation authority will determine the cause of the DRC crash. The Aviation Herald has completed the formal revocation process for the Go2Sky report, closing the chapter on that specific defamation case. No further action is specified for the DRC incident beyond the ongoing probe.