The last remaining operational aircraft owned by Congolese airline Trans Air Cargo Service (TACS) has been damaged in a runway excursion. The incident occurred Sep. 8, at TACS’s base of N’djili International Airport (FIH), Kinshasa. The damaged aircraft was one of only two Douglas DC-8-73 jets still in operation, and it is currently unknown if it will be possible to repair the aircraft.
How Did the Damage Occur?
Congolese outlets have reported that the damage was sustained when the DC-8-73’s nose landing gear collapsed during a landing excursion.
Footage of the incident, which has been shared online, appears to show the jet veering off the runway, and coming to rest with its nose pointing down into the grass.
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Bureau Permanent d’Enquetes d’Accidents et Incidents d’Aviation (BPEA) sent investigators to the airport immediately after the incident was reported.
The BPEA currently classify the damage as an accident but may change this classification as the investigation continues.
Local weather reports show that a low-hanging mist covered the airport for much of the day of the incident, but the BPEA are yet to comment on how this may have impacted the DC-8-73.
What is TACS?
TACS was founded in 1992 under the name Transair Cargo.
Transair Cargo operated entirely as a cargo airline, specialising in flying industrial goods across Congo.
The airline was moved to South Africa in 1998 during the First and Second Congo Wars but returned to its original base at FIH in 2004.
At this time, the cargo airline was renamed Trans Air Cargo Service.
TACS has continued to operate with a gradually depleting fleet since.
The airline retired its Dougals DC-8-62 jet in September 2025, leaving the DC-8-73 as its final operational aircraft.
TACS is yet to comment publicly on the damage to the DC-8-73, and it is unclear if and how the airline intends to continue operating.
The Rise and Fall of the DC-8-73
The damaged aircraft was one of only two Douglas DC-8-73 jets currently in operation.
The DC-8-73 was designed by the McDonnell Douglas Corporation, and first entered service in 1970 as a conversion of the Douglas DC-8-63 jet.
The jet was designed to compete with the Boeing 707 and benefitted from having four CFM International CFM56-2 engines, which were more efficient than those used by the DC-8-63.
Production of the DC-8-73 ceased in 1972, as McDonnell Douglas shifted its focus to the “Super 80” series of jets.
The only other registered DC-8-73 jet is owned by Peruvian airline, SkyBus Cargo Charters, and is currently based at Miami International Airport (MIA).
Have you ever seen a Douglas DC-8-73? Can TACS continue to operate? Let us know what you think in the comments.
