Malawi Defence Force (MDF) commanders knew northern Malawi was experiencing poor weather conditions before the military aircraft carrying vice-president Saulos Chilima and eight others crashed in Chikangawa, Parliament has heard.
Appearing before Parliament’s ad-hoc committee investigating the tragedy on Tuesday, MDF Commander General George Jafu Jnr said weather reports had already indicated poor visibility in the region a day before the fatal flight.
Jafu told lawmakers that aviation authorities had communicated information about the weather situation and that military flight personnel were aware of the prevailing conditions.
The testimony has drawn attention because June 9 was the day military aircraft flew to northern Malawi to transport the body of the late lawyer Ralph Kasambara for burial. The following day, the flight carrying Vice President Chilima and other passengers took a similar route before crashing in Chikangawa Forest.
Asked whether military crews could disregard advice from civil aviation authorities, Jafu said operational decisions ultimately rest with aviation professionals responsible for assessing flight safety.
“We rely on the Air Force Commander to determine whether an aircraft is airworthy because he is the one who assesses the aircraft,” Jafu told the committee.
He further explained that decisions to proceed with flights depend on the professional judgment of the Air Force Commander, pilots and flight crew, who evaluate weather conditions and operational risks before takeoff.
Jafu suggested that previous successful operations under similar conditions may have influenced assessments made before the June 10 flight, although he stressed that this was his personal assumption rather than a conclusion based on evidence.
The testimony raises fresh questions about how weather information was assessed and acted upon in the hours leading up to the fatal journey. It also places focus on the decision-making process within the military chain of command and the role of flight crews in determining whether conditions were suitable for travel.
Parliament’s inquiry continues to hear evidence from military and aviation officials as it seeks to establish the circumstances surrounding one of Malawi’s deadliest aviation disasters.
The committee has yet to reach conclusions on whether weather, operational decisions or other factors contributed to the crash.
