Investigation Summary
On December 4, 2000, an Airbus A330-223 operated by Sabena was performing a scheduled multi-leg flight from Brussels to Nairobi via Bujumbura. During the arrival phase, the aircraft passed over Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The crew opted for an approach to Runway 17 at Bujumbura rather than Runway 35. While Runway 35 involves an approach over Lake Tanganyika, Runway 17 was preferred due to the availability of an Instrument Landing System (ILS) and terrain considerations, despite requiring the aircraft to pass over territory near the airport where Hutu rebels were active. At 17:56 local time, while the aircraft was approximately 330 feet (100m) above the ground and seconds from touchdown, it was targeted by ground-based machine gun fire. The barrage lasted roughly 20 seconds, striking the fuselage 13 times and damaging the nose wheel hydraulics. The crew successfully landed the aircraft, but the hydraulic failure caused significant difficulty during taxiing. Burundian authorities attributed the attack to Hutu rebels who were reportedly dissatisfied with a recent peace agreement and mistakenly believed the commercial flight was transporting weapons.
Final Conclusions
The investigation led by Burundi's attorney general concluded the incident was an act of unlawful interference by Hutu rebels. The aircraft was struck by 13 bullets. Following the attack, three individuals were prosecuted and four others were arrested. The aircraft, OO-SFR, underwent temporary repairs in Nairobi before being flown to Bordeaux for permanent structural and systems restoration. It returned to commercial service on January 16, 2001.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Nose Wheel Hydraulics
The system responsible for steering and retracting the nose gear was punctured by gunfire, leading to taxiing difficulties after landing.
Instrument Landing System (ILS)
The crew utilized runway 17, which was equipped with ILS and preferred due to surrounding terrain, despite the risk of ground fire from that approach path.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was hit by exactly 13 machine gun bullets.
- 02The shooting lasted for approximately 20 seconds.
- 03There were 158 passengers and 12 crew members on board.
- 04The nose wheel hydraulics were damaged, complicating the post-landing taxi.
- 05The aircraft was approximately one year old at the time of the incident, having been manufactured in 1999.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Route Suspension
Sabena immediately suspended all flights to and from Burundi following the incident. The route remained inactive for seven years until Brussels Airlines resumed service in 2007.