On 31 March 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.
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 31 March 2024 |
| Summary | Runway excursion following runway undershoot, under investigation |
| Site | Malakal Airport, South Sudan 9°33′09″N 31°38′45″E / 9.552428°N 31.645778°E |
| 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 |
| Occupants | 0 |
Background edit
On 9 February 2024, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 operated by African Express Airways, crashed in similar circumstances as the Safe Air Boeing 727 did at Malakal Airport, South Sudan. Touching down short of the runway before losing its landing gear, and coming to a stop on its belly. It was later removed from the runway for the airport to restart operations again.[1]
Aircraft edit
The first aircraft involved in the collision was a 45-year-old Boeing 727-2Q9 Advanced registered as 5Y-IRE with serial numbers 21931/1531. It was first delivered to Avianca in 1979.[2][3] The aircraft was powered by three Pratt & Whitney JT8D-17R S3 engines.[3]
The second aircraft involved was a 39-year-old McDonnell Douglas MD-82 registered 5Y-AXL with serial numbers 49204/1179. It was first delivered to Alitalia in 1985. The aircraft was powered by two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-217A/C engines. [4][5]
Accident edit
On 31 March 2024, the Boeing 727-200 took off from Juba Airport carrying supplies and other cargo. After an hour, 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 parts, thus being written off. There were no fatalities and one reported injury.[6][7][8][9]
Investigation edit
An investigation is currently ongoing to try to figure out why the aircraft crashed.[citation needed]
References edit
- ^ "Accident McDonnell Douglas MD-82 5Y-AXL,". Aviation Safety Network. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ "5X-IRE SKA Group". OneSpotter.com. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ a b "5Y-IRE accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ "5Y-AXL AFRICAN EXPRESS AIRWAYS MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD-82 (DC-9-82)". Planespotters.net. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
- ^ "MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD-82 - MSN 49204 | 5Y-AXL". Airfleets.net. Retrieved 5 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". LatestLY. 31 March 2024. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ Hradecky, Simon (1 April 2024) [2024-03-31]. "Accident: Safe B722 at Malakal on Mar 31st 2024, landed short of runway and collided with MD-82". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 2 April 2024.