LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Vice President Saulos Chilima and eight others were killed in a plane crash along with nine other people on board, President Lazarus Chakwera has announced, after searchers found the wreckage of the aircraft in a fog-cloaked forest.
The remains of the military plane were located on Tuesday in a mountainous area in the north of the country, a day after it went missing in bad weather.
However, different versions of the accident are emerging thereby creating many questions leading to the plane crash. Malawi’s Vice President Saulos Chilima tragically died in a plane crash on June 10, 2024.
The military aircraft carrying him and nine others lost contact shortly after taking off from Lilongwe and was later found crashed in the Chikangawa Forest.
The aircraft failed to reach its intended destination at Mzuzu International Airport, and despite search and rescue operations, all occupants were confirmed dead.
This incident has deeply affected the nation, with President Lazarus Chakwera cancelling his scheduled trip to the Bahamas to oversee the rescue efforts and express condolences. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash.
The donnier
This capability has been largely attributed to the type’s supercritical wing which generates large amounts of lift at slow speeds.
The Dornier 228 is typically promoted for its versatility, low operational costs, and a high level of reliability – possessing a dispatch reliability of 99%.
It is built on the existing frame of the German Dornier 228 defence transport aircraft used by the defence forces. Two civil Do-228 produced by HAL for launch under UDAN scheme have a maximum take off weight of 6200 kgs.
The Dornier 228 is a twin turboprop STOL aircraft that can carry up to 19 passengers and is capable of operating from rough runways and in hot climates.
It is powered by a pair of Garrett TPE331 turboprop engines and has a supercritical wing that generates large amounts of lift at slow speeds.
In 1985, the family-owned aviation company Dornier was taken over by the car manufacturer Daimler Benz. Then in 1996, Dornier was sold to Fairchild, an American aircraft manufacturer.
The special mission aircraft can perform takeoff and landings on short runways. It operates at high altitudes in high temperatures. It requires a takeoff distance of 793m and landing distance of 558m.
But since the Dornier 228 is a single pilot complex but no high performance aeroplane, the required instructor license is that of a CRI.
Speed: Max. cruising speed – 231 knots (266 mph; 428 km/h) at 3050 meters (10,000 feet). Service Ceiling: 8535 meters (28,000 ft.) Range: Maximum – 1081 miles (1740 km) with 15 passengers.
The average purchase price of a new Dornier DO-328 is 12,000,000 USD. The average purchase price of a pre-owned Dornier DO-328 is 2,850,000 USD.
Armament: Two inboard and two outboard pylons can carry an array of external stores, including gun pods, rockets, short-range anti-ship missiles and even SAR pods.
The surname Dornier was given to someone who lived near a thorn-bush or hedge. The surname Dornier is derived from the German word dorn, which means thorn. Thus, the name was adopted by a person who lived near thorn bushes.
The sale was completed in February 2021. The US company stated at the ILA Berlin Airshow back in June 2022 its intention to relaunch production of the Dornier 228 twin-turboprop, with the first example to roll off the Oberpfaffenhofen final assembly line in 2024.