What happened
While operating a flight from Khartoum toward Malakal, the crew encountered difficulties maintaining navigation as they were unable to establish contact with the Malakal NDB. In response to this loss of signal, the captain elected to divert the flight path toward Juba.
During the diversion, the aircraft was also unable to receive signals from the Juba NDB. As the situation progressed, the crew faced a critical fuel shortage. In an effort to manage the remaining fuel, an emergency landing was attempted; however, the aircraft type crashed into a wooded region situated near Kapoeta.
Following the impact, local guerrilla forces arrived at the scene and assisted in the evacuation of 32 wounded individuals. The accident resulted in 10 fatalities, which included the pilot.
Findings
- The crew's inability to receive necessary NDB signals prevented successful navigation to the intended diversion airport.
- Fuel exhaustion necessitated the emergency landing attempt that led to the crash.