An Antonov An-26 freighter lost one of its propellers while it was en route to Paloch, South Sudan, from Juba. The aircraft returned to Juba without further incident.
The left-hand propeller got detached and fell on the highway, fortunately without causing any injuries on the ground. The incident occurred on Thursday, May 20.
unknown Antonov An-26 lost its #1 propeller on approach to Juba (HSSJ), South-Sudan. The part landed near the Juba-Bor road fortunately without causing any injuries on the ground. The An-26 pilots managed to land without further incident. @EyeRadioJuba @kenyanaviator pic.twitter.com/WLEgDcRc5O
— JACDEC (@JacdecNew) May 20, 2021
The airport officials reported that an Antonov freighter returned to Juba Airport with just one propeller. After this incident, the Civil Aviation Authority of South Sudan decided to ban the aircraft type from normal operations.
In a statement, David Subek, the head of Sudan’s CAA, said: “I issued that order after the incident of that Antonov AN-26 propeller which is said to have fallen off.”
“They have to immediately cease operation until further investigation is done,” he added.