2020 South West Aviation Antonov An-26 crash

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[2] and to Wau, South Sudan.

2020 South West Aviation Antonov An-26 crash
An Antonov An-26 similar to the one that crashed
Accident
Date22 August 2020 (2020-08-22)
SummaryCrash during take off
SiteJuba Airport, Juba, South Sudan
4°50′55″N 31°33′0″E
Aircraft
Aircraft typeAntonov An-26B
OperatorSouth West Aviation
RegistrationEX-126[1]
Flight originJuba Airport, Juba, South Sudan
Last stopoverWau Airport, Wau, South Sudan
DestinationAweil Airport, Aweil, South Sudan
Occupants9[1]
Fatalities8
Injuries1
Survivors1
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Background

South West Aviation Co. Ltd. founded in 2017, is a passenger and cargo airline based in Juba, South Sudan.[3] The airline was responsible for the fatal crash of an L-410 Turbolet in Juba in 2018.[4] In the aftermath of that accident, President Salva Kiir banned aircraft greater than 20 years of age from operating passenger flights.[5]

Accident

The antonov AN-26 freighter registration EX-126 (MSN 11508) performing a charter flight from Juba to Wau with 6 passengers and 3 crew lost height shortly after departure from Juba runway and impacted a farm about 2.5 nmi (4.6 km) from the runway.[6] Eyewitnesses report that the aircraft suddenly lost power[2] and crashed in the Hai Referendum residential area.[5] Weather is not believed to be a factor.[2] 8 people in the aircraft (3 South Sudanese, and 5 Russians) were killed.[7] There was one reported survivor who was taken to a hospital in critical condition.[8] According to South Sudanese Transport Minister Madut Biar Yol there were five crew members, all Russian nationals.[9]

According to early reports, the plane crashed into a residential area. It burned as residents approached it.[10]

Some reports indicated the aircraft was on a charter flight for the World Food Programme (WFP) when it crashed,[11] and was carrying spare parts, motorbikes, food, as well as NGO staff salaries,[2] though the WFP subsequently clarified that the aircraft had in fact been chartered by Galaxy Star International, a local company that provides services to the WFP and other UN agencies.[12]

Reactions

South 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".[13]

See also

Other crashes in residential areas
  1. Hradecky, Simon. "Crash: South West Aviation AN26 at Juba on Aug 22nd 2020, lost height after departure". avherald.com. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  2. "An-26 Cargo Plane Crashes After Takeoff In South Sudan". Simple Flying. 22 August 2020.
  3. "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
  4. "Crash: South West Aviation L410 at Yirol on Sep 9th 2018, impacted lake on approach to Yirol City". Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  5. "17 people killed in plane crash in South Sudan". Xinhua. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  6. "Crash: South West Aviation AN26 at Juba on Aug 22nd 2020, lost height after departure". avherald.com. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  7. "South Sudan: 7 killed in plane crash shortly after Juba takeoff". www.aljazeera.com.
  8. Perton, Ted (22 August 2020). "At Least 17 Dead After Plane Crash in South Sudan". SamChui.com.
  9. "Seven killed after cargo plane crashes after takeoff in South Sudan". The New Indian Express. AFP. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  10. "17 killed as plane crashes after takeoff from Juba airport". Daily Nation.
  11. "South West Aviation Antonov An-26 at Juba on Aug 22nd 2020, lost height after departure". www.aeroinside.com.
  12. "WFP denies chartering cargo plane that crashed in Juba". Radio Tamazuj. 25 August 2020.
  13. "Kiir sends condolences to families of plane crash victims". Radio Tamazuj. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
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