Pilot incapacitation theory in Chikangawa crash probe

A retired Malawi Air Force commander has raised pilot incapacitation or disorientation as a possible explanation for the unusual flight path of the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) Dornier aircraft that crashed in Chikangawa Forest, killing former vice-president Saulos Chilima and eight others on June 10 2024.

Major General Robray Ishmael (Retired), on Thursday told the parliamentary ad hoc committee investigating the crash that changes in altitude, deviations from the expected route and unusual aircraft movements raised questions about what happened in the cockpit before the aircraft went down.

Ishmael, however, stressed that incapacitation was only a theory based on his analysis of available flight data and was not a confirmed finding.

“Changes in altitude, deviations from the expected route and unusual aircraft movements during the flight have led me to consider whether the crew could have experienced disorientation or incapacitation,” he said.

Recovered flight data shows the aircraft initially climbed to 7 000 feet, then rose to about 8 600 feet before descending sharply to 5 500 feet.

Ishmael, who retired with 40-years piloting experience, described the descent as a dive and questioned what could have prompted such a manoeuvre.

“My theory is that there was incapacitation or disorientation. If a pilot became incapacitated while seated in the cockpit, body movements could unintentionally affect aircraft controls, potentially causing changes in direction or altitude,” he said.

He said what he described as tight turns and loops during the flight further supported his theory of possible crew disorientation.

Ishmael also questioned the decision to fly at relatively low altitude when the Dornier was capable of operating considerably higher, arguing that lower-level flying could reduce communication and radar-detection capability.

The retired commander further raised concerns about aviation medical examinations, saying routine checks covering areas such as hearing, eyesight, blood pressure and blood sugar may not adequately identify conditions that could result in sudden incapacitation.

On the same day, the inquiry heard that airport security procedures were not fully followed before Chilima boarded the aircraft at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA).

Assistant Commissioner of Police Alex Simenti, who was officer-in-charge of airport police at KIA when the aircraft departed, told the committee that some members of Chilima’s entourage were not screened before proceeding to the apron.

“The entourage of the Vice-President was not searched. These were a few individuals who, by nature of their jobs, were very close to the late Vice-President,” Simenti said.

He said the individuals went directly to the apron through the VVIP gate as Chilima was already boarding, leaving no time to take them through the metal detectors and X-ray machine.

Simenti said Chilima used the VVIP gate instead of the VVIP lounge, where full screening procedures would ordinarily have been conducted.

“Except for the VVIPs themselves, we always search the respective entourage’s person and luggage through X-ray machine. This time around, however, the former VP just passed through the gate and we had no time that we could bring them back to the X-ray machine,” he said.

Simenti also submitted KIA CCTV footage to the committee, but members questioned why it did not cover all areas necessary to establish a complete picture of security arrangements on the day.

They noted that the footage mainly showed activity on the apron and did not cover areas such as the approach to the airport and inside the terminal building, which could have provided additional information on access control and screening.

Simenti maintained that the footage captured the relevant activity around the apron where Chilima and his entourage boarded.

He also told the committee that KIA faces wider security and infrastructure challenges, including inadequate funding, a porous perimeter and inadequate VVIP facilities.

Simenti said the airport needs separate VVIP facilities for arrivals and departures, noting that it currently has a dedicated facility only for departures.

“VVIP has just got departure only. Those who are arriving, use the same facility when coming out of the airport, which is not the case with other airports,” he said.

He called for increased government investment in airport infrastructure and security systems.

The committee also heard that another aircraft was in the vicinity of the MDF Dornier as it travelled towards Mzuzu on the day of the crash.

Senior KIA air traffic controller Henry Magombo confirmed that an American-registered aircraft flew from and later returned to KIA on June 10 2024.

“It’s possible the two aircraft were within the same aerial vicinity at some point, but it has to be stressed that they were flying at different altitudes,” Magombo said.

His evidence followed an observation by Mwanza Central legislator Felix Njawala (UTM) that FlightRadar24 data showed another aircraft was almost on the same flight path as the MDF aircraft—an aircraft that, he said, had not featured in previous reports.

Magombo said records showed the aircraft, whose operators he could not identify, was in Malawi between May and August 2024 on consultancy work linked to the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma), including research into natural disasters.

Committee chairperson Walter Nyamilandu said the committee would engage Dodma to establish the aircraft’s exact mission and activities on the day of the crash.

The parliamentary ad hoc committee is investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash of the MDF Dornier aircraft, which went down in Nthungwa Forest near Chikangawa on June 10 2024, killing Chilima and eight others.

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