A new report from international investigators says that the plane crash which killed Malawi’s Vice President and eight others last year was caused by a poor decision by the pilots to fly by sight in very bad weather.
The crash happened on June 10, 2024. A military plane, the Dornier 228-202(K), operated by the Malawi Air Force, crashed into the side of a hill in Nthungwa Forest, Nkhata Bay District. All nine people on board, including Vice President Saulos Chilima, died in the crash.
The investigation was led by Germany’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Office (BFU), after a request from Malawi. The report found that the pilots flew using their eyes (called Visual Flight Rules or VFR), even though the weather was too bad for that. They should have followed Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), which use plane instruments and equipment to fly safely in poor weather.
The report says the pilots kept flying low in foggy conditions, lost track of where they were, and were not properly ready for the trip.
The crew had been told the weather was bad, but they still chose to fly by sight instead of using their instruments and a safer flight plan. The plane did have equipment to warn about nearby mountains and hills, but the crew didn’t use it properly.
The report also pointed out other problems:
- The emergency signal device had an old battery (expired in 2004) and didn’t send a distress call.
- The pilots didn’t get an official weather report. They just called a local airport for information.
- Malawi’s weather services didn’t have full data for the flight route, so pilots had limited information.
GPS data showed the plane flew just 185 feet above the ground before hitting a forested hill at high speed near a communications tower.
The German investigators gave six safety tips, including better pilot training, improved weather systems, up-to-date emergency tools, and stronger rules for military flying.
The report raises big concerns about how Malawi handles air safety, especially for flights carrying top government leaders.
A separate report from a Malawian investigation earlier this year also suggested many of the same changes to help make flying safer in the country.
As Malawi continues to grieve the loss of its Vice President, the final report gives both answers and a plan to help stop such crashes from happening again.
