2007 Free Airlines L-410 crash

On June 21, 2007, an overloaded Free Airlines Let L-410UVP (registration 9Q-CEU) in Karibu Airways livery crashed shortly after takeoff from Kamina Town (fr:Kamina Ville) for Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo. Landing in a swamp east of the unpaved strip, the aircraft came to rest inverted in the water.

Background
Free Airlines and Karibu Airways (also cited as the operator) were both on the List of air carriers banned in the EU. That list now bans "All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC)".

The L-410UVP is only rated for a maximum of 17 passengers, but there were 21 people aboard, including three crew. The aircraft was previously registered as 5R-MGO by the now-defunct Madagascar Flying Services. It was reported to have previously crashed in southern Sudan in 2005.

Crash
There was one fatality, Mbuyu Mibanga, a deputy in the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At least 12 more were injured, including two Congolese doctors working for the World Health Organization and one Engineer working for Vodacom-Congo.,

Aftermath
After another crash occurred in August 2007, the licenses of Karibu Airways and pilot Isaac Besongo were subsequently suspended.