6/20/24, 11:46 PM 2024 Chikangawa Dornier 228 crash - Wikipedia

2024 Chikangawa Dornier 228 crash

On 10 June 2024, a Malawian Defence Force Dornier 228
2024 Chikangawa Dornier 228
carrying Vice-President of Malawi Saulos Chilima, former
crash
First Lady Patricia Shanil Muluzi, and seven other
occupants, crashed in Chikangawa Forest Reserve in
Nkhata Bay District; all on board died. At the time of the
crash, the aircraft and its passengers were en route from
Lilongwe to Mzuzu Airport in the Northern Region to
attend a funeral.

Background
A Malawi Air Force Dornier 228, sister
The aircraft was a Dornier 228 which belonged to the to the aircraft involved in the accident
Malawi Air Force. It had previously been used to transport
Accident
President Lazarus Chakwera several times and had
Date 10 June 2024
conducted its previous flight hours before the crash.[1]
Summary Under investigation
On 10 June 2024, the aircraft, carrying Vice-President Site Chikangawa Forest
Saulos Chilima, former First Lady Patricia Shanil Muluzi, Reserve, Nkhata Bay
District, Northern
and seven other occupants,[2] including members of
Region, Malawi
Chilima's staff and security detail[3] and three military
Aircraft
crew,[4] left Kamuzu International Airport in the capital
Lilongwe at 9:17 a.m. CAT, and was scheduled to arrive at Aircraft type Dornier 228
Mzuzu Airport in the Northern Region at 10:02 a.m.[5] The Operator Malawi Defence Force
passengers were on their way to attend the funeral for Registration MAF-T03
former government minister Ralph Kasambara, and were to Flight origin Kamuzu International
return to Lilongwe afterward.[6][7] Airport, Lilongwe,
Malawi

Crash Destination Mzuzu Airport, Mzuzu,

Malawi
The aircraft disappeared from radar shortly after taking off Occupants 9
from Lilongwe, with aviation officials unable to contact the Passengers 6
aircraft. The disappearance prompted a search and rescue Crew 3
operation to locate the aircraft.[8] Fatalities 9

Poor weather conditions prevailed along the intended flight Survivors

0

path, and eyewitnesses reported an aircraft crash in the

Chikangawa Forest area. Chilima's phone was reported by local news sources to have been last
detected at around 10:30 a.m.[6] Authorities said that the aircraft had turned back from Mzuzu due
to poor visibility.[9]

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The wreckage of the aircraft was found by Malawi Defence Force soldiers in Chikangawa Forest on
11 June. No survivors were found.[9] Authorities described the aircraft as "completely destroyed",
with its occupants believed to have died on impact.[3]

Recovery efforts
President Lazarus Chakwera cancelled a visit to the Bahamas after learning about the
disappearance from Malawi Defence Force chief General Paul Valentino Phiri, and ordered a
search and rescue operation.[10][11] He also called for prayers for the missing and their families.
The United States, the United Kingdom, Norway and Israel offered assistance and provided
"specialized technologies",[12][4] with the US embassy offering the use of a C-12 aircraft from the
Department of Defense. The Malawian government also asked for assistance from neighbouring
Zambia and Tanzania.[3]

Aftermath
The remains of the victims were transported to Lilongwe aboard a Zambian Air Force helicopter on
11 June. President Chakwera subsequently declared 21 days of national mourning beginning on 11
June and said that Chilima would be accorded a state funeral.[2]

A service was held for Chilima at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on 16 June, during
which at least 41,000 people attended. Chakwera and other government officials were booed by
some mourners, forcing Catholic priests officiating the ceremony to intervene and restore order.[13]
Clashes erupted between police and mourners as Chilima's remains were being transported to
Ntcheu on the evening of 16 June, and a vehicle in his convoy ran over several pedestrians as it was
passing through Dedza, killing four people and injuring 12 others.[14] Chilima was buried on 17
June in his home village of Nsipe, in a ceremony that was also attended by Chakwera and his three
living predecessors as president, Bakili Muluzi, Joyce Banda and Peter Mutharika.[15]

Investigation
Chakwera called for an independent investigation into the crash, saying that the Malawi Defence
Force cannot conduct an investigation "that can be credible on its own".[15]

Reactions
President Chakwera said he was "deeply saddened and sorry" over the disaster and praised
Chilima, describing him as a "formidable VP".[9] FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who was in
Malawi for a scheduled visit and had been due to meet with Chilima, expressed his condolences to
his widow, Mary Nkhamanyachi Chilima.[16]

Chilima's political party, the United Transformation Movement, accused authorities of a slow
response to the disaster and said that the aircraft did not carry a transponder.[3]

See also
2024 Lake Ranco helicopter crash

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2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash

References
1. "Malawi's vice president, former first lady among 10 people killed in plane crash" (https://www.fr
ance24.com/en/africa/20240611-malawi-s-vice-president-former-first-lady-among-10-people-kill
ed-in-plane-crash). France 24. 11 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
2. "Malawi announces state funeral and 21 days of mourning for vice president killed in a plane
crash" (https://www.africanews.com/2024/06/12/malawi-announces-state-funeral-and-21-days-
of-mourning-for-vice-president-killed-in-a-plan/). Africanews. 11 June 2024. Archived (https://w
eb.archive.org/web/20240612134536/https://www.africanews.com/2024/06/12/malawi-announc
es-state-funeral-and-21-days-of-mourning-for-vice-president-killed-in-a-plan/) from the original
on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
3. Gondwe, Gregory and Imray, Gerald (11 June 2024). "Malawi's vice president and 9 others are
confirmed dead after their plane's wreckage is found" (https://apnews.com/article/malawi-missi
ng-plane-vice-president-chilima-c071c832931d7cfeae92f9bb1c199075). Associated Press.
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20240611093715/https://apnews.com/article/malawi-mis
sing-plane-vice-president-chilima-c071c832931d7cfeae92f9bb1c199075) from the original on
11 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
4. Gondwe, Gregory and Imray, Gerald (11 June 2024). "Soldiers in Malawi search for missing
military plane carrying vice president and former first lady" (https://apnews.com/article/malawi-v
ice-president-missing-plane-2850e56f58e4635b3aeadc205713947f). Associated Press.
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20240610224626/https://apnews.com/article/malawi-vice
-president-missing-plane-2850e56f58e4635b3aeadc205713947f) from the original on 10 June
2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
5. Mathers, Matt (10 June 2024). "Aircraft carrying Malawi vice president Saulos Chilima goes
missing" (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/malawi-vice-president-aircraft-missi
ng-saulos-chilima-b2560046.html). The Independent. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20
240610164435/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/malawi-vice-president-aircraft
-missing-saulos-chilima-b2560046.html) from the original on 10 June 2024. Retrieved 10 June
2024.
6. "Malawi Vice President feared dead in plane crash" (https://malawi24.com/2024/06/10/malawi-
vice-president-feared-dead-in-plane-crash/). Malawi 24. 10 June 2024. Archived (https://web.ar
chive.org/web/20240611002115/https://malawi24.com/2024/06/10/malawi-vice-president-feare
d-dead-in-plane-crash/) from the original on 11 June 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
7. "Aircraft carrying Malawi vice president missing, search under way" (https://www.aljazeera.co
m/news/2024/6/10/aircraft-carrying-malawi-vice-president-missing-search-under-way). Al
Jazeera. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20240610174257/https://www.aljazeera.com/ne
ws/2024/6/10/aircraft-carrying-malawi-vice-president-missing-search-under-way) from the
original on 10 June 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
8. Chibelushi, Wedaeli (10 June 2024). "Saulos Chilima: Malawi vice-president's plane goes
missing" (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4nn0zkq79ko). BBC. Archived (https://web.archiv
e.org/web/20240610155710/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4nn0zkq79ko) from the
original on 10 June 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
9. Chibelushi, Wedaeli; Jegwa, Peter (11 June 2024). "Saulos Chilima: Malawi VP's plane found
with no survivors, president says" (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c722vpp1ndro). BBC.
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20240611093710/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c72
2vpp1ndro) from the original on 11 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
10. "Plane Carrying Malawi's VP Missing: Govt" (https://www.barrons.com/news/plane-carrying-mal
awi-s-vp-missing-govt-7c297611). Barron's. 10 June 2024. Archived (https://web.archive.org/w
eb/20240610163424/https://www.barrons.com/news/plane-carrying-malawi-s-vp-missing-govt-
7c297611) from the original on 10 June 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2024.

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11. "Search underway for Malawi vice president after military jet disappears" (https://www.africane
ws.com/2024/06/10/search-underway-for-malawi-vice-president-after-military-jet-disappears/).
Africanews. 11 June 2024. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20240610234043/https://ww
w.africanews.com/2024/06/10/search-underway-for-malawi-vice-president-after-military-jet-disa
ppears/) from the original on 10 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
12. GONDWE, GREGORY. "Malawi's vice president and 9 others are confirmed dead in plane
crash" (https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/soldiers-police-forest-rangers-continue-
search-missing-plane-111009091). ABC News. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2024061
3031516/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/soldiers-police-forest-rangers-continu
e-search-missing-plane-111009091) from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June
2024.
13. "Malawians pay tribute to vice-president killed in plane crash" (https://www.bbc.com/news/articl
es/cj77pvmndmjo). BBC. 16 June 2024. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2024061701041
9/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj77pvmndmjo) from the original on 17 June 2024.
Retrieved 16 June 2024.
14. "Mourners killed by car in Malawi VP's funeral convoy" (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm
mmdvgyznjo). BBC. 17 June 2024. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20240617100833/htt
ps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmmmdvgyznjo) from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved
17 June 2024.
15. "Malawi's vice president laid to rest as president calls for an independent probe into his death"
(https://apnews.com/article/malawi-chilima-funeral-investigation-0f550ecb24074009b795089ed
4d05874). Associated Press. 18 June 2024. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/202406180
04239/https://apnews.com/article/malawi-chilima-funeral-investigation-0f550ecb24074009b795
089ed4d05874) from the original on 18 June 2024. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
16. "FIFA president visits Malawi for first time, offers condolences over passing of nation's VP" (htt
ps://www.africanews.com/2024/06/12/malawi-announces-state-funeral-and-21-days-of-mournin
g-for-vice-president-killed-in-a-plan/). Africanews. 13 June 2024. Archived (https://web.archive.
org/web/20240612134536/https://www.africanews.com/2024/06/12/malawi-announces-state-fu
neral-and-21-days-of-mourning-for-vice-president-killed-in-a-plan/) from the original on 12 June
2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.

External links
The accident aircraft (https://imgproc.airliners.net/photos/airliners/3/0/3/1096303.jpg)
Accident crash site (https://malawi24.com/2024/06/11/chilima-crash-site-identified/) visited by
President Chakwera of Malawi

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