2015 Juba An-12 crash

On 4 November 2015, an Antonov An-12 cargo aircraft crashed near the White Nile shortly after takeoff from Juba International Airport serving Juba, the capital city of South Sudan.[1][2][3] At least 37 people were killed, including the crew of six.[4] One adult passenger and a baby girl were the only survivors.[5] The crash is the deadliest aviation accident to have occurred in South Sudan since independence in 2011.

2015 Juba An-12 crash

The wreckage of the An-12 photographed at the crash site a year after the accident
Accident
Date	4 November 2015 (2015-11-04)
Summary	Under investigation, possible overloading
Site	Near Juba International Airport, Juba, South Sudan 4.86051°N 31.61751°E / 4.86051; 31.61751
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Antonov An-12BK
Operator	Allied Services Ltd
Registration	EY-406
Flight origin	Juba International Airport, Juba, South Sudan
Destination	Paloich Airport, South Sudan
Passengers	13
Crew	6
Fatalities	37
Survivors	2

Accident

Juba International Airport

Paloich Airport

Origin and destination airports in South Sudan

The aircraft was operating a cargo flight from Juba International Airport to Paloich Airport in the extreme northeastern South Sudan, an oil field. It departed Juba's runway 13 but impacted a hill about 1,100 metres (3,600 ft) past the runway end and came to rest on the banks of the White Nile.[6]

Authorities in South Sudan reported that the aircraft was overloaded, with most of the passengers being oil workers.[7] The government spokesman of South Sudan said that there were at least 18 people on board.[8] Early reports of the number killed varied, but the total now stands at 37, according to South Sudan's Minister of Transportation, Kuong Danhier Gatluak.[4][9] The crew of the plane comprised five Armenians and one Russian.[10] There were initially three survivors, passenger Wuor Arop and an unrelated 13-month-old baby girl whom he had cradled, together with a third, reported to be a crew member, who later died in hospital.[3][5][9] It is common for the security services to place family members on cargo planes to Paloich even if they are not on the manifest, according to Kenyi Galla, assistant operations manager for Combined Air Services, a company that operates chartered flights across South Sudan.[11][8]

Aircraft

The aircraft involved photographed in 2005 while in service with British Gulf International Airlines

The aircraft involved was an Antonov An-12BK with Tajikistani registration EY-406, serial number 01347704, built in 1971 by TAPOiCh of Soviet Union. It was operated by Allied Services Ltd, a logistics company based in South Sudan at Juba airport, leased from Tajikistan's Asia Airways.[6]

Investigation

An unnamed source at the Russian aviation agency said that the An-12 appeared to have been overloaded.[12]

References

1. "'Scores dead' in South Sudan plane crash". Al Jazeera.
2. "Cargo plane with Russian crew crash-lands in S. Sudan, up to 40 reported dead". Russia Today. 4 November 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
3. Hradecky, Simon. "Crash: Allied Services AN12 at Juba on Nov 4th 2015, impacted hill in initial climb". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
4. "Baby 'survived' South Sudan plane crash in man's arms". Eastern Mirror. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
5. "Lone Adult Survivor of South Sudanese Plane Crash Recounts Story of How He Saved a Baby's Life". The Blaze. Archived from the original on 21 November 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
6. "EY-406 accident summary". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
7. "Over 40 killed in plane crash near Juba airport". Sudan Tribune. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
8. "Cargo Plane Crashes in South Sudan, Killing Dozens". 4 November 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
9. "South Sudan plane crash baby conscious in Juba". BBC News. 5 November 2015.
10. Dumo, Denis (4 November 2015). "Plane crashes in South Sudan, witnesses say dozens killed". Reuters.
11. "South Sudan plane crash: Dozens killed in Russian-built cargo aircraft". The Daily Telegraph. 4 November 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
12. "Russian cargo-plane crashes in South Sudan; at least 15 dead". USA Today. Retrieved 4 November 2015.

External links

• Photos of the aircraft involved at Airliners.net