Malawi: Chikangawa Plane Crash Inquiry Hears Conflicting Visibility Reports

What the report says

A parliamentary ad hoc inquiry in Malawi is reviewing the 2024 plane crash in Chikangawa that killed Vice-President Saulos Chilima and eight others. According to Nyasa Times, testimony from Olive Chavunguma, a former officer-in-charge at the Mzuzu meteorological station, has added a new dispute over whether weather conditions would have allowed the aircraft to land safely at Mzuzu Airport that morning.

Chavunguma told the committee that her station recorded visibility of about eight kilometres on 10 June 2024, which she said was sufficient for landing. She also said the weather was overcast with drizzle and fog, but argued that conditions had not been so poor as to prevent a landing at Mzuzu. MPs questioned her closely about the gap between her account and the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) report.

The BFU’s final report said the aircraft collided with terrain after flying in adverse weather and also alleged that Malawi’s meteorological service did not provide weather information for the planned route. Chavunguma, however, said she could not confirm bad weather caused the crash and warned that conditions at Mzuzu Airport may not have matched those at the crash site in the Viphya forest area near Nthungwa Hill.

The inquiry is taking place after President Peter Mutharika ordered a fresh review, following concerns about gaps in earlier investigations. The case remains significant because it could clarify whether the fatal flight was mainly driven by weather, route conditions, or other operational factors.