South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
The South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) on Tuesday said that it will form a committee to investigate the plane crash incident at Yida airstrip in Pariang County of Ruweng Administrative Area.
The Avions-401 Antonov-26B plane belonging to the SSPDF crash-landed on Tuesday at Yida airstrip after hitting a nearby tree. All the three crew members and a soldier on board survived.
Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, SSPDF spokesman said in a statement that they plan to launch an investigation into the incident.
“SSPDF command has resolved to establish an investigation committee to ascertain the exact cause of the accident,” Koang said.
“The accident was caused by poor visibility that had encompassed the entire northern part of our country. Poor visibility had necessitated the cancellation of flights to Malakal, Renk and Poloch,” he disclosed.
The Director General of Juba International Airport, Kur Kuol in an earlier interview with this newspaper revealed that the ill-fated plane carrying mixed goods had taken off from Juba International Airport for Yida at around 6:18 A.M.
South Sudan has witnessed several plane crashes in recent years.
In February 2024, a passenger aircraft operated by Africano Company that was transporting returnees who fled the war in Sudan, crash-landed at Malakal Airport leaving all passengers on board alive.
In April 2023, a cargo plane carrying passengers crash-landed at Juba International Airport and all the passengers came out unscathed.
On 2 March 2021, a Let L-410 Turbolet of South Sudan Supreme Airlines crashed in Pieri, Uror County on a domestic flight to Yuai Airstrip.
In August 2020, eight people lost their lives, while a single passenger survived with injuries when a cargo plane crashed into a farm in the Kemeru area minutes after it took off from the Juba International Airport.
In 2015, 36 people were killed when a Soviet-era Antonov plane crashed just after takeoff from Juba.
In 2017, 37 people had a miraculous escape after their plane hit a fire truck on a runway in Wau before bursting into flames.
