SSPDF cargo Plane crashes during landing in Ruweng

PARIENG/JUBA — A military cargo plane carrying mixed goods to Ruweng Administrative Area crashed at Yida Airstrip this morning, the Director General of Juba International Airport (JIA) said.

Speaking to Sudans Post this morning, Kuol Kur, the Director General of JIA  said the Antinov 26 operated by the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) was carrying five people on board including four crew members and one soldier but all survived.

“It is actually, Antinov 26 took off from Juba Airport this morning around 6:18 am and the destination was Yida and Anitnov 26 was carrying 5 people on board, one passenger and four crew members,” Kur said.

Kur disclosed that the crash was caused as a result of poor visibility at Yida Airstrip.

According to the Director of JIA, the plane overran the runway went to the bush hit itself on a tree and then immediately got burned

“The plane was suspected to land at 7:57 am and it was carrying mixed goods but all the passengers are safe, the plane crash-landed because of poor visibility,” he said.

In July 2022, a plane crashed to a standstill while attempting to take off at Juba International Airport.

In November 2021, a cargo plane crashed in the capital Juba killing all five crew members on board.

This followed another deadly crash that killed 10 people in Jonglei State in March of the same year.

In 2020, the Civil Aviation Authority withdrew the license of several Antonov planes and ordered their owners to fly them out of South Sudan.

The Aviation Authority also warned two AN-26 planes owned by the South Sudan Air Force flying with foreign civil registration to change to the military or else face a ban by the aviation authority.

The Russian Antonov AN-26s, which were manufactured in 1969 been blacklisted by the Flights Safety Foundation in 2006.