cockyjester
11th Jan 2005, 10:17
Even given the fact that this is in Africa.....how can a 20 tonne cargo plane take off from an international airport with nobody accountable for its operation
This taken from the local paper
Crashed plane mystery deepens
By Emmy Allio
The army and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have each denied responsibility for the operations of the crashed plane and two other aircraft companies operating from the Old Entebbe airport.
Sources said lately there has been an influx of Antonov-12 planes at the airport as the case was between 1998 and 2002 when the Ugandan army was in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
CAA sources said the UPDF did not inform them about the operations of some cargo planes and that operators of the crashed plane never informed them about their cargo.
But security sources said CAA has responsibility to ascertain the type of cargo an aircraft is carrying. Press reports yesterday said the crashed plane had on board a Jeep Cherokee, a Toyota RAV4 and 20 tonnes of beans.
Sources said the CAA and the army have disagreed over the operation of a Congolese registered Mango-Mart plane from Goma in DR Congo and another Antonov-12 plane, which made its maiden landing at the airport on Christmas. The plane reportedly flew from Dubai through Eldoret, Kenya. The plane’s crew reportedly argued they were landing at Entebbe because the plane had mechanical problems.
Sources, however, said the plane had been chartered by a Ugandan with army and political connections.
Interpol has reportedly impounded the plane in Dubai following a complaint by Shell and a Congolese businessman, Omeri.
Omeri accused the plane operators of flying away with his 500 bales of textiles. The oil company wants payment for 12,000 litres of fuel used by the plane.
CAA public relations chief Ignie Igundura yesterday said “Depending on the situation, they (airlines) often pay parking fees. These issues will be addressed when the Uganda Aeronautical Authority appoints a probe committee.”
Uganda Aeronautical Authority chairman is John Nasasira, the communications minister.
But the army is blaming the CAA for what is going on at the old Entebbe airport. It said the Air Service, operators of the plane that crashed on Saturday, paid CAA $640 for landing and navigation fees.
The Uganda People’s Defence Air Force (UPDAF) spokesman, Lt. Naboath Mugisa, said yesterday the defence ministry or UPDF “does not give authority of operations to anybody for business at the old airport since it does not own it.”
The army listed the operators and institutions that operate at the old airport as the UPDAF airbase, the United Nations regional base, the Uganda Air Cargo, Air Service, Air Navette, Showa Air, Volga Atlantic and Service Air.
Mugisa said the army and other sister security agencies only provide security.
“Therefore, the issue of permitting or authorising any operator at the old airport by the defence ministry/UPDF is out of question,” he said.
Sources had said the UPDF liaison officer at the airport, Capt. Kazungu, gets $300 per flight not cleared by CAA.
But Mugisa said, “It is CAA’s department of air navigation that clears the planes.”
Published on: Tuesday, 11th January, 2005
This taken from the local paper
Crashed plane mystery deepens
By Emmy Allio
The army and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have each denied responsibility for the operations of the crashed plane and two other aircraft companies operating from the Old Entebbe airport.
Sources said lately there has been an influx of Antonov-12 planes at the airport as the case was between 1998 and 2002 when the Ugandan army was in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
CAA sources said the UPDF did not inform them about the operations of some cargo planes and that operators of the crashed plane never informed them about their cargo.
But security sources said CAA has responsibility to ascertain the type of cargo an aircraft is carrying. Press reports yesterday said the crashed plane had on board a Jeep Cherokee, a Toyota RAV4 and 20 tonnes of beans.
Sources said the CAA and the army have disagreed over the operation of a Congolese registered Mango-Mart plane from Goma in DR Congo and another Antonov-12 plane, which made its maiden landing at the airport on Christmas. The plane reportedly flew from Dubai through Eldoret, Kenya. The plane’s crew reportedly argued they were landing at Entebbe because the plane had mechanical problems.
Sources, however, said the plane had been chartered by a Ugandan with army and political connections.
Interpol has reportedly impounded the plane in Dubai following a complaint by Shell and a Congolese businessman, Omeri.
Omeri accused the plane operators of flying away with his 500 bales of textiles. The oil company wants payment for 12,000 litres of fuel used by the plane.
CAA public relations chief Ignie Igundura yesterday said “Depending on the situation, they (airlines) often pay parking fees. These issues will be addressed when the Uganda Aeronautical Authority appoints a probe committee.”
Uganda Aeronautical Authority chairman is John Nasasira, the communications minister.
But the army is blaming the CAA for what is going on at the old Entebbe airport. It said the Air Service, operators of the plane that crashed on Saturday, paid CAA $640 for landing and navigation fees.
The Uganda People’s Defence Air Force (UPDAF) spokesman, Lt. Naboath Mugisa, said yesterday the defence ministry or UPDF “does not give authority of operations to anybody for business at the old airport since it does not own it.”
The army listed the operators and institutions that operate at the old airport as the UPDAF airbase, the United Nations regional base, the Uganda Air Cargo, Air Service, Air Navette, Showa Air, Volga Atlantic and Service Air.
Mugisa said the army and other sister security agencies only provide security.
“Therefore, the issue of permitting or authorising any operator at the old airport by the defence ministry/UPDF is out of question,” he said.
Sources had said the UPDF liaison officer at the airport, Capt. Kazungu, gets $300 per flight not cleared by CAA.
But Mugisa said, “It is CAA’s department of air navigation that clears the planes.”
Published on: Tuesday, 11th January, 2005