Boeing 727 freighter operated by Safe Air crashed and collided with debris from another previously crashed plane
One Boeing 727 freighter of Safe Air suffered an accident today (31), upon landing at Malakal airport in South Sudanafter having lost control shortly after touching the aerodrome runway, colliding with the wreckage of another plane that had suffered an accident on February 9.
The aircraft, a Boeing 727-2Q9 (F) freighter registration 5Y-IRE, was manufactured in 1979 and had taken off from Juba airport (HJJJ) bound for Malakal (HJMK). The aircraft brought supplies to the government of that region.
According to reports, the incident occurred when the aircraft approached for landing much lower than normal, touching the ground violently and collapsing the main landing gear, skidding onto the runway. The Boeing 727 only stopped when it collided with the wreckage of another plane that had crashed there previously: an African Express Airways MD-82 (5Y-AXL).
According to Radio Tamazuk, seven people were removed from the wreckage of the aircraft. One of them had serious injuries.
The press office of James Odhok Oyay, governor of the Sudanese state of Upper Nile, confirmed the accident in a statement. “The plane encountered problems during landing and was forced to make an emergency landing. The aircraft skidded off the runway and collided with the wreckage of another plane that had crashed a few months earlier.“.
The public manager also expressed concerns about the quality of the airport and its ability to deal with emergencies, calling for expansions and improvements to the runway to meet safety standards.
