South Sudan: Plane Crashes During Take-off Attempt

Passengers got the fright of their lives when the plane they were supposed to travel in crashed during a take-off attempt in South Sudan earlier this week.

Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 357 was scheduled to fly on Tuesday, 10 December – it was to depart from the capital city, Juba, to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

According to a statement released by the airline, the plane – which was carrying 21 passengers, including crew members – had attempted to take off, only for it to skid off the flooded runway and into a nearby grassy field.

Additional reports say that bad weather made it hard for the pilot to see, and that the left main gear, left wing and fuselage were extensively damaged in the crash.

Passengers and crew were uninjured, and were rebooked on another flight.

The incident comes nine months after Ethiopian Airlines’ ill-fated flight ET 302 crashed into a field in Tulu Fara, killing all 157 people onboard.

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