MALAKAL, South Sudan (Aug. 9, 2024) — Thirty-five people survived after a United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) plane crash-landed at Malakal Airport on Friday. The plane, which had taken off from Maban, experienced a critical failure when its tires fell off moments after takeoff.
John David, South Sudan’s Civil Aviation director, confirmed the incident and said the cause of the malfunction was under investigation. “This is the second crash we’ve had recently,” David said. “There was another incident last night. Our technical team is still gathering details, so I cannot provide further information at this time.”
This incident is part of a series of aviation accidents in South Sudan. On Wednesday, a cargo plane crash in Pieri Payam, Jonglei State, injured two pilots. Other crashes have occurred in March, February, and as recently as August 8, underscoring the precarious state of air travel in the country. South Sudan’s poor road infrastructure has made air transport essential, leading to frequent aviation incidents.
