Fresh Chilima’s plane crash: Former Air Force Commander Ishmael rules out technical failure, points to human factor, route change

By Kenneth Bwanali

**LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-**In a explosive testimony before the Parliamentary Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the June 10, 2024 Chikangawa plane crash, former Commander of the Malawi Air Force, Major General Robray Ishmael (Rtd), has ruled out mechanical failure and adverse weather as primary causes of the crash that claimed the lives of former Vice President Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima and eight others.

Appearing as a key expert witness on Thursday, Major General Ishmael expressed high confidence that the fatal disaster was driven by human factors, citing an unexplained tactical deviation by the flight crew shortly after picking up the Vice President in Lilongwe.

Key Revelations from Parliamentary Hearing:

Aircraft & Weather Cleared: Ishmael affirmed that technical evaluations showed the military aircraft was in sound operational condition and that atmospheric conditions along the scheduled path were manageable.

Unexplained Route Deviation: The flight crew had successfully navigated the flight route earlier that morning from Mzuzu to Lilongwe without incident.

However, after picking up Dr. Chilima, the crew inexplicably altered their return trajectory toward Mzuzu.

Human Factors Primacy: The retired commander stressed that available evidence points toward decisions made inside the cockpit rather than mechanical malfunction or environmental force majeure.

“No Reason to Alter the Route”

Addressing lawmakers during his ongoing presentation at the National Assembly, the retired Air Force Chief highlighted what he characterized as a critical anomaly in the flight’s execution.

“I do not understand why the flight crew chose to change the route on the return leg from Lilongwe to Mzuzu after picking up the Vice President, when they had just safely flown that exact same route hours earlier,” Ishmael stated during questioning.

According to Ishmael, standard aviation procedures would dictated utilizing the known, verified route previously cleared during the morning leg.

The decision to alter course into the high-altitude terrain of the Chikangawa Forest under deteriorating visibility raises major questions regarding cockpit decision-making and flight preparation.

Context and Ongoing Inquiry

The military Dornier 228 aircraft crashed into the dense Chikangawa Forest reserve on June 10, 2024, killing all nine occupants aboard, including Vice President Saulos Chilima and former First Lady Shanil Dzimbiri.

The disaster prompted widespread public demand for transparency, leading to the formation of the Special Parliamentary Ad-Hoc Committee tasked with uncovering the root causes and operational lapses surrounding the tragedy.

Major General Ishmael’s testimony marks one of the most direct assessments provided to parliament by a senior military aviation authority since the inquiry commenced.

Proceedings remain active as members of parliament continue to cross-examine witness statements and evaluate flight logs.

This is a developing story. Updates will follow as parliamentary proceedings continue.

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