The report into the tragic military plane crash that claimed the lives of Malawi’s former vice-president Saulos Chilima and eight others has concluded that the accident was caused by a collision with terrain in adverse weather conditions.
The report, conducted by the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU), found that the flight crew operated under poor visibility, leading to the fatal crash on 10 June 2024 in Nthungwa, Viphya Plantation.
Investigators determined that the Department of Meteorological Services failed to provide critical weather data for the flight route, violating International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards.
“The accident occurred because the crew flew into instrument meteorological conditions during flight under visual flight rules and the aircraft collided with ascending terrain,” the report said.
Additional contributing factors included low-altitude flight in marginal weather conditions, lack of situational awareness by the crew, inadequate pre-flight preparation, and a non-functional Emergency Locator Transmitter, which had been outdated for 20 years.
The Malawi Defence Force plane was en route from Lilongwe to Mzuzu Airport, carrying Chilima, former First Lady Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri and seven others.
The group was traveling to attend the burial of former Justice Minister Ralph Kasambara when the aircraft crashed, killing all on board.
The report highlights that deadline pressure to land on time in Mzuzu may have influenced the crew’s decision to continue flying despite deteriorating weather conditions.
The BFU report calls for urgent reforms in Malawi’s aviation sector, including mandatory radar and radio data recording at major airports, improved meteorological data provision for flight planning, regular updates of flight crew medical records, and enhanced aviation safety protocols for military transport aircraft
JN/APA