On 22 August 2020, a South West Aviation An-26 turboprop aircraft crashed upon taking off from Juba Airport in Juba, South Sudan, for a domestic cargo charter flight to Aweil and to Wau, South Sudan.
 An Antonov An-26 similar to the one that crashed | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 22 August 2020 |
| Summary | Crashed after takeoff for undertermined reasons |
| Site | Juba Airport, Juba, South Sudan 4°50′55″N 31°33′0″E / 4.84861°N 31.55000°E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Antonov An-26B |
| Operator | South West Aviation |
| Registration | EX-126[1] |
| Flight origin | Juba Airport, Juba, South Sudan |
| Last stopover | Wau Airport, Wau, South Sudan |
| Destination | Aweil Airport, Aweil, South Sudan |
| Occupants | 9[1] |
| Fatalities | 8 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Survivors | 1 |
Background
editSouth West Aviation Co. Ltd. founded in 2017, is a passenger and cargo airline based in Juba, South Sudan.[2] The airline was responsible for the fatal crash of an L-410 Turbolet in Juba in 2018.[3] In the aftermath of that accident, President Salva Kiir banned aircraft greater than 20 years of age from operating passenger flights.[4]
Accident
editThe Antonov An-26 freighter registration EX-126 (MSN 11508) performing a charter flight from Juba to Wau with six passengers and three crew lost height shortly after departure from Juba and impacted a farm about 2.5 nmi (4.6 km) from the runway.[1] Eyewitnesses report that the aircraft suddenly lost power[citation needed] and crashed in the Hai Referendum residential area.[4] Weather is not believed to be a factor.[citation needed] Eight people in the aircraft (three South Sudanese and five Russians) were killed.[5] There was one reported survivor who was taken to a hospital in critical condition. According to South Sudanese Transport Minister Madut Biar Yol there were five crew members, all Russian nationals.[6]
According to early reports, the plane crashed into a residential area. It burned as residents approached it.[7]
Some reports indicated the aircraft was on a charter flight for the World Food Programme (WFP) when it crashed,[8] but the WFP denied having any connection to the flight, saying that the aircraft had been chartered by Galaxy Star International, a local company that provides services to the WFP and other UN agencies.[9]
Investigation
editSouth Sudan's Aircraft Accident Incident Investigation Department (AAIID) was unable to establish the cause of the crash, but determined that the flight violated regulations, as the plane lacked a valid airworthiness certificate and South West Aviation did not hold an air operator's certificate.[1][10]
Reactions
editSouth Sudanese president Salva Kiir called upon the Ministry of Transportation to "adhere to international standards" when assessing the airworthiness of aircraft adding "I know that it is hard to cope with the tragedy of this nature, but let us work hard to find the cause of this accident and use the lessons learned from it to prevent the occurrence of similar tragedies in the future".[11]
See also
editOther crashes in residential areas
editExternal links
edit- ^ a b c d Hradecky, Simon (16 June 2024) [22 August 2020]. "Crash: South West Aviation AN26 at Juba on Aug 22nd 2020, lost height after departure". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
- ^ "South West Aviation Co. Ltd". Retrieved 23 August 2020.
South West Aviation is a licensed passenger and cargo airline that acquired its air service license from the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority in the year 2017
[permanent dead link] - ^ Hradecky, Simon (23 October 2019) [9 September 2018]. "Crash: South West Aviation L410 at Yirol on Sep 9th 2018, impacted lake on approach to Yirol City". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ a b "17 people killed in plane crash in South Sudan". Xinhua. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ "South Sudan: 7 killed in plane crash shortly after Juba takeoff". www.aljazeera.com.
- ^ "Seven killed after cargo plane crashes after takeoff in South Sudan". The New Indian Express. AFP. 22 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ "17 killed as plane crashes after takeoff from Juba airport". Daily Nation. 22 August 2020.
- ^ "South West Aviation Antonov An-26 at Juba on Aug 22nd 2020, lost height after departure". www.aeroinside.com.
- ^ "WFP denies chartering cargo plane that crashed in Juba". Radio Tamazuj. 25 August 2020. Archived from the original on 24 June 2023.
- ^ "Final Report of Antonov-26B, EX-126 Accident in Juba-South Sudan" (PDF). Aircraft Accident Incident Investigation Department. Retrieved 17 June 2024 – via Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK).
- ^ "Kiir sends condolences to families of plane crash victims". Radio Tamazuj. Retrieved 24 August 2020.