Chilima, Malawian Airlines passengers safe: ‘Plane did not crashland but tyres deflated upon touchdown’

Vice President Saulos Chilima and other passengers aboard a Malawian Airlines plane which had its tyres locked upon landing in South Africa are all safe.

We reported earlier that the plane carrying Chilima had ‘crash–landed’ at O.R Tambo International Airport in South Africa after its tyres failed to come out during landing.

“What happened was that two rear tyres locked and because of that they deflated upon touchdown. If the Captain didn’t alert us, no one would have noticed a thing. Bravo Captain Masi and Senior First Officer Botha, Bravo Malawian Airlines,” said one of the passengers after disembarking from the plane.

“The Vice President and all the other passengers are fine, no one is injured, we praise God,” said the passenger.

Captain Abraham Mangwana from Malawian Airlines also wrote on a WhatsApp Group; “Hello team. Actually this was not a crash landing only those main tyresdeflated during normal braking as one ABS or Antiskid system, as we call it, was not working on one of the tyres. As a precaution, the Captain, opted to have the aircraft towed to avoid damage to the landing wheel system. Now the Captain has confirmed that it was only one tyre that deflated and are replacing it.”

Chilima left Malawi through Lilongwe International Airport via Chileka Airport for USA on a private visit.

He is expected to connect to USA in South Africa and is expected back home on January 24, 2019