Investigation Summary
The accident involved a 23-year-old twin-engine turboprop that had previously been operated by Air New Zealand and Eagle Air before being leased to Light Air Services. On the morning of January 29, 2025, the aircraft departed the Unity State oil fields carrying employees of the Greater Pioneer Oil Company. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft crashed and came to rest in an inverted position with debris scattered across the site. While the flight manifest originally listed 19 passengers and 2 crew, there was initial confusion regarding the identity of the occupants as two individuals listed on the manifest reportedly missed the flight and were replaced by others. The South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority, supported by international agencies, is currently investigating the structural integrity of the airframe following witness accounts of a wing failure.
Final Conclusions
The investigation is ongoing. The South Sudan National Minister of Transport confirmed that the flight recorder was retrieved from the wreckage and sent to the United States for analysis. As of March 2025, the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) of Singapore and the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) of New Zealand are providing technical assistance to South Sudanese authorities.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Systems & Failure Modes
Wing Structure
Investigators are evaluating witness reports that a wing snapped off in flight, which would indicate a catastrophic structural failure.
Flight Recorder
The device was recovered and sent to the United States to provide telemetry and audio data for the investigation.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was 23 years old at the time of the accident.
- 02The flight was chartered by the Greater Pioneer Oil Company (GPOC), a consortium involving China National Petroleum Corporation and Nile Petroleum Corporation.
- 03The wreckage was found in an upside-down position.
- 04Two passengers listed on the original manifest missed the flight and were replaced by two other individuals.
- 05The sole survivor was a South Sudanese engineer who was initially treated in Bentiu before being moved to Juba.
- 06Occupants included 16 South Sudanese, one Indian, and two Chinese nationals, plus two Ugandan crew.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Safety Standard Enforcement Allegations
Reference ↗The head of the Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA) alleged that the accident was a result of poor safety standard enforcement by the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority regarding aging aircraft.
Location
APPROXIMATE POSITION · AIRPORT LEVEL · Coordinates are the reference point of the airport named in the location, not the point of impact. The ring shows the accuracy the record supports, not the point of impact.