Plane carrying Vice President of Malawi missing, search underway [Update: all aboard found deceased]

[Storr]

"BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) — Soldiers are searching mountainous forests near a city in northern Malawi after a military plane carrying the country’s vice president and a former first lady went missing in the area Monday, President Lazarus Chakwera said.

The plane carrying 51-year-old Vice President Saulos Chilima, former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri and eight others left the southern African nation’s capital, Lilongwe, at 9:17 a.m. and had been expected to land 45 minutes later at Mzuzu International Airport, about 370 kilometers (230 miles) to the north.

But air traffic control told it to not attempt a landing and to turn around because of bad weather and poor visibility, Chakwera said in an address broadcast live on state TV channel MBC.

Air traffic control lost contact with the aircraft and it disappeared from radar a short time later, he said."

https://apnews.com/article/malawi-vice-president-missing-plane-2850e56f58e4635b3aeadc205713947f

[CumbrianLefty]

Any updates?

[dead0man]

Any updates?

found the plane, everybody is dead

On 10 June 2024, a Malawi Defence Force Dornier 228 carrying Vice-President of Malawi Saulos Chilima and nine other occupants crashed in Chikangawa Forest Reserve in Mzimba District, killing all on board.

Background
The Dornier 228 aircraft, which belonged to the Malawi Army Air Wing of the Malawi Defence Force, was previously used to transport President Lazarus Chakwera several times and had its penultimate flight hours before the crash.[1]

On 10 June 2024, the aircraft, carrying Vice-President Saulos Chilima, former First Lady Patricia Shanil Muluzi and eight other occupants, including members of Chilima’s staff and security detail[2] and three military crew,[3] left Kamuzu International Airport in the capital Lilongwe at 9:17 a.m. CAT, and was scheduled to arrive at Mzuzu Airport in the Northern Region, about 370 kilometres (230 mi) away, at 10:02 a.m.[4] The passengers were on their way to attend the funeral of former government minister Ralph Kasambara, and were to return to Lilongwe after the funeral.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

RIP
The fact that they were due to travel to a funeral makes all this rather ironic as well.

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

Not a good couple weeks for officials to go flying near mountainous areas.