What happened
On the morning of the incident, a Hawker Sidely Andover operated by 748 Air Services departed Lokichoggio Airport (LKG) for a series of flights in Southern Sudan, including stops at Boma, Torit, and Natinga. While returning to Lokichoggio, the aircraft approached the airfield from the west on a long final for runway 09. Upon touchdown, the propellers made contact with the runway surface and continued to strike the ground for a certain distance. The aircraft subsequently drifted left of the centerline and came to a halt, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe and obstructing the airport's only 1800-metre runway.
The crew, consisting of the captain, first officer, and loadmaster, evacuated the aircraft without injury. The resulting runway blockage forced several arriving aircraft to alter their plans; a Dornier 228, an Antonov 28, and a Cessna 208 landed safely on the opposite runway, while two Antonov 12 aircraft diverted to Juba.
Later that afternoon, at approximately 14:30 hours, a Transafrik Hercules S9-BAS, operating on behalf of the United Nations World Food Programme, contacted the tower while returning from a mission in Motot. Although advised to divert to Eldoret International Airport, the pilot elected to land at Lokichoggio. During the approach, the aircraft experienced a very heavy landing short of the runway, which caused the upper center section of the fuselage to break. As the aircraft decelerated approximately one kilometer from the touchdown point, its right wing tip struck the stationary Hawker Siddeley Andover. The crew and loadmasters on the Hercules evacuated the aircraft safely.
Findings
- The initial runway obstruction was caused by a propeller strike during the landing of the 748 Air Services aircraft.
- The subsequent accident involving the Hercules was precipitated by a heavy landing and the presence of the disabled aircraft on the airfield.