By Prisca Promise Mashushu

Lilongwe, December 14, Mana: The inquiry report on the aircraft ML Air force Donnier 228 crash that killed eight people including the late Vice President Saulos Chilima in Nthungwa Pamphara hill Nkhatabay has revealed that bad weather was the greatest cause of the accident.

This was disclosed on Saturday at a press briefing organised by the appointed aircraft crush commission of inquiry at Golden Peacock in Lilongwe.

It was revealed that the pilot on the day did not consult Kamuzu International Airport to find out how the weather was.

Justice Jabbar Alide, Chairperson of the commission of the inquiry stated that the weather was bad in Mzuzu as it was foggy, causing poor visibility and very cold and it was getting worse despite that the plane had already took off from Kamuzu International Airport.

“The commission found out that the pilot did not have any weather information about the day which was supposed to be obtained from the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services before commencing to Mzuzu for the funeral of the late Kasambala.

“Based on the evidence, the commission found no proof of technical issues that caused the accident that claimed the lives of the vice president and other eight lives,” Alide read the report.

The Commission further stated that the Malawi Air Force Dornier 228 aircraft was in good condition a day before and on the actual day of the accident and that the aircraft had been duly maintained by the Malawi Air Force.

According to the manufacturer’s specifications, the plane is supposed to cover 29,000 flying hours and the one, which crashed at Chikangawa, had completed only over 3,000 hours.

The report alluded that the cause of the crash was due to environmental factors, which includes bad weather that led to poor communication while the plane was in the middle of the journey.

The commission of inquiry made its recommendations after conducting a thorough investigation. This included examining the actual site of the accident, consulting the Malawi Police Service and the Malawi Defence Force, and gathering information from all relevant sources connected to the incident.

“The commission of the enquiry visited Chikangwa forest and all places surrounding the place,  Mzuzu airport, Mzuzu police and Malawi a defence Force from Mzuzu as the first hand witness of the accident.

“The commission also engaged with the Zomba Malawi Defence Force (MDF) and interviewed the deceased’s family before proceeding to Lilongwe, where it interacted with the President, the Secretary to the Office of the President, the MDF, the Malawi Police Service, Airtel Malawi, MACRA, and other stakeholders,” reads part of the statement.

The commission of inquiry concludes that the plane crash was caused by a combination of environmental and human factors, based on evidence gathered from various individuals, institutions, and stakeholders.