An Aero-Fret Business Antonov AN-12 freighter, registration TN-AIA performing a freight flight from Pointe Noire to Brazzaville (Congo) with 5 crew and 1 passenger on board, was on approach to Brazzaville, when the airplane impacted ground about 8nm (15km) southwest of Brazzaville within the cemetery of the village of Nganga Lingolo slightly right of the extended centerline ahead of Brazzaville's runway 05 at around 7am local (06:00Z). All 6 people on board perished in the crash.

The Congolese Ministry of Transport said initially, that 7 bodies were recovered from the crash site. Acccording to that information the victims were 5 Russian and 2 Congolese citizens (local residents). Russia's embassy had not confirmed, that Russians were involved.

The Ministry said later, that there were 5 Ukrainian crew and one Congolese passenger on board, all of which perished. Russia's embassy confirmed, that the 5 crew were all Ukrainian.

Brazzaville Tower reported, that the airplane was at an altitude of 3000 feet MSL (about 2000 feet above airport elevation) when radar and radio contact was lost.

The Minister of Transport said, that the rear of the airplane had been observed on fire. The airplane broke up in flight before impacting ground, he added.

Congo had banned passenger transport on AN-12s in 2007, however still permitted cargo operations.