2024 Malakal Airport collision
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 31 March 2024 |
| Summary | Runway excursion following runway undershoot, under investigation |
| Site | Malakal Airport, South Sudan |
| Total fatalities | 0 |
| Total injuries | 1 |
| Total survivors | 7 |
| First aircraft | |
.jpg) 5Y-IRE, the aircraft involved in the accident in 1980, while still operated by its previous operator, Avianca | |
| Type | Boeing 727-2Q9F |
| Operator | Safe Air Company |
| Registration | 5Y-IRE |
| Flight origin | Juba International Airport, South Sudan |
| Destination | Malakal Airport, South Sudan |
| Occupants | 7 |
| Passengers | 1 |
| Crew | 6 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Survivors | 7 |
| Second aircraft | |
 5Y-AXL, the aircraft involved in the accident in a previous livery | |
| Type | McDonnell Douglas MD-82 |
| Operator | African Express Airways |
| Registration | 5Y-AXL |
| Flight origin | Juba International Airport, South Sudan |
| Destination | Malakal Airport, South Sudan |
| Occupants | 0 |
On March 31, 2024, a Boeing 727-200 operated by Safe Air Company scheduled to fly from Juba International Airport to Malakal Airport, South Sudan, undershot the runway after experiencing technical issues. The plane collided into a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 that had crashed around two months earlier in the same airport. Out of the seven occupants on board, everyone survived with only one injured.
Background
Almost two months before the crash, on February 9, 2024, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 owned and operated by African Express Airways crash landed at the same airport as the Safe Air Boeing 727 did, touching down short of the runway before losing its landing gear, coming to a stop on its belly. It was moved away from the runway for the airport to start operating again. [1]
Aircraft
The accident aircraft was a 45 year old Boeing 727-2Q9 owned and operated by Safe Air, a Kenyan airline founded in 2007. Its registration was 5Y-IRE, and its MSN was 21931/1531. [2][3] [better source needed]
It was owned by Avianca as N202AV in 1979, before being sold to SAM Colombia with the same registration in 1992. Only two years after, the aircraft was sold to DHL Air UK with registration N741DH, being converted into a freighter. After almost two decades being with DHL Air UK, it was sold to a private owner in South Africa. Five years later it was sold to Safe Air. In 2021, it was used to evacuate Afghans from Kabul, carrying up to 320 occupants on the same flight. It was owned by Safe Air at the time of the accident. [2][4]
Accident
On March 31, 2024, the Boeing 727-200 took off from Juba Airport carrying supply's and other cargo. After 1hr of flight, they finished cruising and were descending when they started to experience technical problems with the aircraft. They decided to make an emergency landing, performed by the captain. Upon approach, the plane touched down a few meters off of the runway, causing the tires to burst. The captain lost control of the aircraft, sending it hurdling off of the runway, and finally striking the previously mentioned McDonnel Douglas MD-82 that was off of the runway. It sustained substantial damage, while the Boeing 727 split into two sections, thus being written off. There were no fatalities and one reported injury. [5][6][better source needed][7][8]
Investigation
An investigation is currently ongoing to try to figure out why the aircraft crashed.[8]
References
- ^ "Accident McDonnell Douglas MD-82 5Y-AXL,". aviation-safety.net. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ a b "5X-IRE SKA Group". onespotter.com. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ "Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - Boeing 727-2Q9, c/n 21931, c/r 5Y-IRE". www.aerialvisuals.ca. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ "FlyJSim 727 - Safe Air Cargo 5Y-IRE (Cargo)". X-Plane.Org Forum. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ Ranabhat, Sharad (31 March 2024). "Safe Air Boeing 727 collides with disabled MD-82 while landing in South Sudan". AIRLIVE. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ Gleadow, Ewan (31 March 2024). "Boeing 727 loses control and crashes during landing in 'terrifying incident'". The Mirror US. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ "Boeing Plane Crash in Sudan: Safe Air Flight Crashes at Malakal Airfield (See Pics) | 🌎 LatestLY". LatestLY. 31 March 2024. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ a b Ranabhat, Sharad (31 March 2024). "Safe Air B727 Collides With Disabled MD-82 in South Sudan". SamChui.com. Retrieved 1 April 2024.