Parliamentary Committee Set to Launch Full Probe into Chikangawa Plane Crash

The Parliamentary Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the 2024 Chikangawa plane crash has completed its preparatory phase and is set to begin full-scale investigations into the tragedy that claimed the life of former Vice President Saulos Chilima and eight others.

In a statement released Tuesday, committee chairperson Walter Nyamilandu confirmed that key groundwork—including the Terms of Reference, methodology, and project plan—has been finalized.

The inquiry is expected to commence by mid-May 2026, following the completion of resource mobilisation and contracting processes.

According to the committee, the investigation will unfold through three parallel tracks: a Health, Safety, Security and Environmental (HSSE) audit; a forensic audit aimed at establishing facts and uncovering new evidence; and autopsy and post-mortem examinations to determine the medical and pathological causes of death.

These processes will run concurrently with site visits, evidence collection, analysis, and validation.

The committee is expected to deliver its final report within 90 days of the start of the inquiry.

Authorities have also invited members of the public to submit relevant information.

More than 150 witnesses from institutions connected to the aircraft and flight operations are expected to participate through a hybrid system of in-camera interviews and public hearings.

The committee has assured Malawians that the investigation will be conducted in a systematic, evidence-based, transparent, and fair manner.

The fatal crash occurred on June 10, 2024, when a Malawi Defence Force Dornier 228 aircraft went down in the Chikangawa Forest in Nkhata Bay District.