He said the repeated incidences were turning into a crisis in the aviation sector, and there is need for swift investigation

By Ajah Jennifer

The Chairperson of South Sudan Pilots Association, Dau Mayak expressed sadness following the fatal plane crash that claimed the lives of 20 employees of GPOC oilfield in Unity State, and left one critically injured.

Mayak, who was became chairperson of the association in 2021, at the height of a series of aviation accidents, reckoned that some of the crew members in the latest crash were his colleagues.  

He said the repeated incidences were turning into a crisis in the aviation sector, and there is need for swift investigation. “Even though crashes happen, some can be avoided. It is due to lack of investigations, fact-finding and proper regulation that this continues to happen,” he said.

Mayak explained that investigations into aviation accidents are essential as they help to avoid repeated crashes from happening in the future. He added that there is need to examine the types of aircrafts that come into the country.

He said many investigations have been done, but they have borne little fruit, and challenged Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Transport to do more.  

“In some of these investigations, us pilots are sometimes not included. We wonder how they conduct these investigations. There has to be an engineer, and a pilot,” he explained, insisting that an engineer rated on the specific ill-fated aircraft has to be part of the process.

He further pointed that the Civil Aviation Authority, as part of its mandate, should provide concrete answers to the public on their findings when such accidents happen, to ensure that potential future incidences are prevented.

“The public must know the cause of the accidents. This is to avoid any incidents in future. That is why investigations are done,” he stated. He also disclosed that the concerns raised by the association had been neglecting by the past Civil Aviation management.

“The important thing is for Civil Aviation to be independent. They can carry out independent investigations without any pressure from data or whatsoever and then we know the cause. Then, any aircraft that come to South Sudan must be inspected properly,” he added.

The pilot challenged the aviation regulator to make changes and consider professionals such as pilots in their decision-making processes, in a bid to tackle major challenges.

He concluded by sharing his condolences to the families of the passengers and pilots who died in the crash, stating that the country has lost two great, professional pilots; individuals the association will forever mourn and have in their hearts.

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“The public must know the cause of the accidents. This is to avoid any incidents in future. That is why investigations are done,” Dau Mayak, Chairperson of South Sudan Pilots Association.