What happened
During a climb following departure from runway 31 at Juba Airport, an aircraft experienced a loss of altitude and struck a prairie area near Referendom. The crash site was situated approximately 4 km northwest of the airport. Upon impact, the aircraft caught fire, and the structural forces of the crash, combined with the subsequent flames, resulted in the total destruction of the airframe.
The flight was operating a route from Juba to Aweil, with a planned stop in Wau, transporting food supplies and funds for wages on behalf of the World Food Programme. Of the ten people on board, nine fatalities were recorded, while one passenger sustained serious injuries.
Findings
Investigations into the accident highlighted a significant discrepancy regarding the weight of the aircraft. At the time of the incident, the aircraft was carrying approximately 8 tons of cargo, which exceeded the maximum allowable payload of 5.5 tons.