New aviation company falls prey to committee investigating South Sudan plane crash

By Tapeng Michael Ohure

A new aviation company in South Sudan has become the first victim of a committee formed to investigate a plane crash in the country.

Last week, a cargo plane crashed shortly after take-off from the capital Juba killing all five people on board. They included four crew members and a passenger.

The committee formed by the Ministry of Transport stopped the operations of Nyanbiting Aviation company citing mechanical problems with its aircraft and lack of enough pilots.

The Airline made its first successful flight to YIDA in Ruweng Administrative Area on October 20.

The cargo plane that crashed last week belonged to Optimum Aviation Company. 

“The committee discovered that Nyanbiting Airline was bought without pilots but the company then recruited 1 pilot and 1 co-pilot who has stayed home for 11 years without flying,” the Director General for Juba International Airport, Kur Kuol told Juba Echo by phone.

“One pilot cannot operate a big aircraft without his other assistants.”

According to Kuol, “the safety committee in the South Sudan Civil Aviation recommends that most of the aircrafts in the country with similar issues will be returned to their countries of origin.”

He warned that most of the aviation companies currently operating in the country risk being stopped from operation as well.