An Ethiopian Airlines Dash 8 suffered a runway excursion while departing from the Juba International Airport. The aircraft was heavily damaged, but none of the 21 occupants were injured.
The Ethiopian Airlines de Havilland Dash 8-402Q, registered ET-AQC, was operating the second leg of flight ET357 from Juba International Airport (JUB), South Sudan, to Addis Ababa (ADD), the Ethiopian capital.
During its takeoff roll, the aircraft overran the runway and ended its course on soft ground. The left main gear collapsed and the left engine was damaged, projecting blade debris that punctured the fuselage. Fortunately, none of the 21 people on board were injured. The aircraft was safely evacuated.
Ethiopian Airlines’ Q400 crashes at around 6.10pm in Juba pic.twitter.com/LA2UJotiyO
— Robert Alai (@RobertAlai) December 10, 2019
The airport’s general manager, Kur Kuol Ajieu, told Radio Tamazuj operations were not affected and that the weather conditions at the time of takeoff were bad. In a statement, Ethiopian Airlines confirmed that heavy rains and wind were reported. Passengers were transferred on the next available flight.
According to its website, Ethiopian Airlines operates a fleet of 23 Bombardier Dash-8 Q400. The aircraft involved in the incident, ET-AQC, was manufactured and delivered in 2012.