On March 31, 2024, a Safe Air Boeing 727 cargo plane collided with a disabled African Express Airways MD-82 at Malakal Airfield in South Sudan.
The Safe Air Boeing 727-200F with registration 5Y-IRE was attempting to land when it struck the MD-82, which had been involved in a prior landing accident at the same airport in February.
The MD-82 had landed short of the runway and remained stationary due to being unable to be moved.
According to local reports, the aircraft had been instrumental in the evacuation of ex-Afghan special forces from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan in 2021.
In a statement, Bol Mijok Lual, the acting airport general manager said, “A large cargo plane landed and crashed at our airport at 11 a.m. This plane landed a few meters outside the runway, causing its tires to burst and turn inside out. As a result, the plane lost control and hit a plane that had previously crashed.”
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the collision.
Thankfully, there were no reported injuries.