South Sudan probes UN helicopter crash at Juba airport

April 12, 2023 (JUBA) – South Sudanese authorities have launched an investigation into circumstances under which a helicopter operated by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) crash landed at Juba International Airport (JIA).

The director of JIA, in a statement, said government constituted a committee to meet UNMISS and the airline operator to establish the exact cause of the incident.

“The government and the aviation authority have constituted a committee to meet the management of the United Nations mission in South Sudan and the airlines to help understand the details of the crash,” Kur Kuol said on Wednesday.

He revealed that the aircraft, which was operated by the Rwandan contingent contracted by UNMISS, had 12 passengers and four crew members on board.

“We do not have full details at the moment, but according to the preliminary report, we understand that the plane belongs to the Rwanda contingent under UNMISS and it was going to Bor from Juba and from Bor to Ayod area. It was for an operational mission”, explained Kuol.

“It was guaranteed permission to fly, but shortly after taking off, it came down. It could not move. It crashed and nobody was hurt. All survived. The plane is safe and is not damaged. The passengers who were on board are safe and there were no injuries or death. All the about 12 passengers and four crew members came out very clean and nothing happened to them,” he added.

Authorities, however, said the exact cause of the incident remains unclear.

This was not the first plane crash incident at JIA. July 2022, a plane skidded off the runway while attempting to take off from JIA. Separately, a cargo plane crashed in the capital, Juba killing all five crew members on board in November 2011.

(ST)