2025 Light Air Services Beechcraft 1900 crash
Aviation accident in South Sudan From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On 29 January 2025, a Beechcraft 1900D operated by Eagle Air on behalf of Light Air Services crashed in Unity State, located in the Greater Upper Nile region of South Sudan. The aircraft was on a routine scheduled charter flight from GPOC Unity Airstrip to Juba International Airport when it crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 20 out of 21 on board. The aircraft was transporting oil workers to the South Sudanese capital Juba.[1]
 The aircraft involved in the accident in March 2016, while still in storage with Eagle Airways | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 29 January 2025 |
| Summary | Crashed after takeoff, under investigation |
| Site | Near GPOC Unity Airstrip, Rubkona County, Unity State, South Sudan 9°28′0″N 29°40′22″E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Beechcraft 1900D |
| Operator | Eagle Air on behalf of Light Air Services |
| Registration | 5X-RHB |
| Flight origin | GPOC Unity Airstrip, Rubkona County, Unity State, South Sudan |
| Destination | Juba International Airport, Juba, South Sudan |
| Occupants | 21 |
| Passengers | 19 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 20 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Survivors | 1 |
Background
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was a 23-year-old twin engined turboprop Beechcraft 1900D originally registered as N60069 before being delivered to New Zealand's Eagle Airways as ZK-EAF in 2002. Ugandan airline Eagle Air purchased the frame in 2016, bearing the registration 5X-RHB. The aircraft was stored until it was leased to Light Air Services in 2017.[citation needed]
Passengers and crew
There were 21 people aboard the aircraft: 19 passengers and 2 pilots. Sixteen of the passengers were South Sudanese, while one Indian, two Chinese nationals and two Ugandan crew were also on board.[2] The aircraft was operated by Light Air Services aviation company and was chartered by the passengers' employer, the Chinese petroleum firm Greater Pioneer Oil Company (GPOC), which is a consortium of China National Petroleum Corporation and Nile Petroleum Corporation.[1][3][4]
Accident
The aircraft was performing a regularly scheduled charter flight.[5][6] At around 10:30 am local time, approximately 10 minutes after takeoff, the aircraft lost height and crashed into the ground. A witness reported that a wing had snapped off, resulting in the aircraft losing altitude.[7] Pictures shared on social media showed that debris was scattered across the site of the crash with the aircraft upside down.[1][8] Twenty of the twenty-one people on board were killed, including two who later died in hospital. The sole survivor of the crash was identified as South Sudanese engineer Emmanuel Maker, who was taken to the state hospital in Bentiu in critical condition.[9]
Investigation
Saleh Akot, the director of Juba International Airport, said that the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority deployed a team to the crash site to start the investigation.[10] South Sudan Oil Minister Puot Kang Chol announced an investigation into the cause of crash, with his ministry cooperating with the Ministry of Transport, other local authorities and emergency services to ensure that a thorough examination is conducted.[9] Preliminary findings on the cause of the crash were expected to be disclosed until later.[11] Ter Manyang Gatwech, head of the Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA), alleged that the accident was caused by the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority's poor enforcement of safety standards, allowing aging and outdated aircraft to fly in South Sudan.[12]
The National Minister of Transport said its air crash investigation department had retrieved the flight recorder from the wreckage of the crash and sent it to the United States for further analysis.[13]
Responses
The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed condolences in a press statement.[14]
See also
References
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