A Serve Air Cargo Boeing 737-300F suffered a right main landing-gear collapse during takeoff at Kindu airport in the Democratic Republic of Congo on 17 September, forcing the cargo aircraft to stop on the runway. The freighter, registered 9S-AAI, was operating a domestic flight to Kinshasa when it veered right on runway 36 and became immobilised, disrupting operations at the airport.
The crew kept the aircraft on the runway and brought it to a halt. The left main gear also sustained tyre damage, while Congo’s accident investigation authority, BPEA, dispatched a team to Kindu to examine the incident.
The aircraft is a 27-year-old Boeing 737-300 that previously flew as a passenger jet for carriers including easyJet and Hainan Airlines. The event adds to scrutiny of older 737 freighters that remain common in African cargo service, where they continue to carry domestic and regional freight on short sectors.