A place where restoration project-type threads can go to avoid falling off the main page in the WIX hangar. Feel free to start threads on Restoration projects and/or warbird maintenance here. Named in memoriam for Gary Austin, a good friend of the site and known as RetroAviation here. He will be sorely missed.
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African DC-9 crash this week

Thu Apr 17, 2008 2:34 am

Does anyone know the c/n of that DC-9 that ran off the runway and through the marketplace? From the flight deck window configuration, I'd guess it was a really really early -10 or -15 because the #3 window is a very peculiar shape common to only very early 9's

Thu Apr 17, 2008 7:17 am

Registration was 9Q-CHN. Not sure about c/n. The folks over at A-net seem to think it is a DC9-50.

Thu Apr 17, 2008 11:21 am

According to airlinerlist.com, 9Q-CHN reports as a DC-9-51 built as c/n 47731, line number 860 and delivered to Eastern on 22 July 1977. Shows as operated by Hewa Bora AW on the list, so that would be the correct airline.

I also find it interesting that Hewa Bora has re-registered the airplane every year since it got it. I would think that gives you an idea of what kind of operation they run.

Registrations:

3D-BOA Hewa Bora AW 09.06.05
S9-DBH Hewa Bora AW rr s11.01.06
9Q-CHN Hewa Bora AW rr s07.07

Thu Apr 17, 2008 12:06 pm

I also find it interesting that Hewa Bora has re-registered the airplane every year since it got it. I would think that gives you an idea of what kind of operation they run.

Registrations:

3D-BOA Hewa Bora AW 09.06.05
S9-DBH Hewa Bora AW rr s11.01.06
9Q-CHN Hewa Bora AW rr s07.07

Not sure why you suggest the re-registering is indicative of the type of operation Hewa Bora runs? It is more probable that it is due to a government regulation designed to extract an annual registration fee. That said Africa has a terrible "safety" record and is the most demanding place I've ever operated.

Tom-

Thu Apr 17, 2008 1:09 pm

According to the newspaper article the thing had an engine flameout while taxiing out, got that re-started, and had some sort of tire issue just before take off? 'excuse me Miss, I'll just go out the tailcone exit now'
Thanx for the prompt information on this old timer-there's a great deal of frightening junk in the skies of Africa :shock:

Thu Apr 17, 2008 3:23 pm

I think their annual re-registration might be an attempt to get around the EU ban on Hewa Bora operations within the EU zone. IIRC, their 767-300 is the only airplane in the fleet permitted to fly in the EU (flies on the Kinshasa-Brussels run) and it might have been an attempt to have the DC-9 capable of doing this as well.
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