By Chisomo Phiri
A Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee established to conduct a fresh inquiry into the Chikangawa Plane Crash, which claimed the life of former Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima and eight others in June,2024, is set to begin a nationwide fact-finding mission next week.
According to a communiqué made available to this publication, committee chairperson Walter Nyamilandu Manda says the exercise will run from Monday, May 18 to Friday, May 22, 2026.
Walter Nyamilandu says the visits are aimed at giving committee members a first-hand understanding of the crash site, aviation facilities, aircraft wreckage, and related records as part of the ongoing investigation.
He adds that the committee will also engage technical personnel stationed at the identified locations in line with the committee’s terms of reference.
Walter Nyamilandu says the committee is also expected to inspect several key sites linked to the tragedy, including Kamuzu International Airport(KIA) in Lilongwe, Nthungwa Forest, Mzuzu Airport, and Cobbe Barracks.
According to the schedule released by the committee,here are the details of the sites inspection:
Monday, May 18, 2026: Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe.
Tuesday, May 19, 2026: Nthungwa Forest in Chikangawa and Mzuzu Airport.
The fresh inquiry is expected to shed more light on the circumstances surrounding one of Malawi’s most devastating aviation tragedies.