Female Dutch passenger survives aircraft crash on Lake Malawi

Confirmed by Minister Moses Kunkuyu

* The aircraft was departing from Nkhotakota to Makhanga in Liwonde with one crew member and two passengers on board

* The female Dutch passenger survived the accident with minor injuries after being rescued by local fishermen

* She is currently being treated in hospital in the district—says Minister of Information & Digitalisation, Moses Kunkuyu

By Duncan Mlanjira

Minister of Information & Digitalisation, Moses Kunkuyu, who is chief government spokesperson, has confirmed to the public of an aircraft accident that happened in the afternoon of today, August 20 in Nkhotakota District involving a C210 type aircraft registration number 7QPFU that crashed into Lake Malawi.

The Minister says the aircraft was departing from Nkhotakota to Makhanga in Liwonde with one crew member and two passengers on board and that a female Dutch passenger has survived the accident with minor injuries after being rescued by local fishermen.

“She is currently being treated in hospital in the district,” says the statement. “The aircraft departed Nkhotakota Tongole at 14h00 and was supposed to land Makhanga at 15h15.

“The aircraft is reported to have crashed at the Northeast of Benga and it ditched into Lake Malawi but close to the shores. Meanwhile the aircraft has been sighted under water surface and rescue efforts are underway and to pull the aircraft ashore.

Another statement from operators of the aircraft, Nyassa Express confirms that a private charter flight, 7Q-PFU (Cessna C210), departed from Tongole Airfield in Nkhotakota Game Reserve at 14h06, en route to Liwonde Game Reserve, and failed to land as scheduled.

It also confirms that the flight was carrying two passengers and one pilot and that the last satellite position received by Nyassa operations placed the aircraft approximately 70kms south of Nkhotakota, near the shoreline of Lake Malawi.

“This location is the current focus of intensive search and rescue operations,” said the statement. Nyassa Express is relieved to report that one of the passengers has been located.

“The individual was able to walk and has since been transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation. The search efforts continue for the remaining passenger and the pilot, as well as the aircraft itself.

“The Civil Aviation authorities are actively coordinating the search and rescue operations, with the assistance of Nyassa Express and other relevant agencies.

“Every effort is being made to locate the aircraft and those still missing as quickly as possible,” said the statement we received a moment ago that adds that no further information is available and that Nyassa Express will provide updates as the situation develops.

The aircraft crash comes two months after the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) Dornier that crashed on June 10 and killed former Vice-President Saulos Chilima and eight other, whose cause of the accident is yet to be made public that was carried out by German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU).

Last month, MIJonline reported that BFU was expected to publish an interim report on the plane crash by the end of this month of August, to be available on the BFU website and will detail the facts gathered so far in the investigation.

MIJ said the BFU investigation team, supported by experts from the Civil Aviation Administration of Malawi and the Malawi Armed Forces, has been working tirelessly to determine the cause of the crash after the team inspected the accident site, the aerodrome of departure and destination, and the home base of the airplane.

“While the interim report will provide some answers, the BFU will also publish a final report later on, which will include the analysis of the facts, conclusions, causes, and possible safety recommendations,” reported MIJonline.