The Parliamentary Ad-Hoc Committee on the Chikangawa plane crash says it has completed its preparatory work and is set to begin full investigations into the June 2024 tragedy that killed former Vice President Saulos Chilima and eight others.
In a statement, the committee, chaired by Walter Nyamilandu, announced that it has finalised the Terms of Reference, methodology, and project plan.
According to the Committee, investigations are expected to commence by mid-May 2026 following the resource mobilisation and contracting phase.
The inquiry will proceed through three parallel processes: a Health, Safety, Security and Environmental (HSSE) audit; a forensic audit to establish facts and uncover new information; and an autopsy with post-mortem examinations to determine medical and pathological causes of the fatalities.
The committee has indicated that these will run alongside site visits, followed by evidence gathering, analysis, and validation.
The committee is expected to submit its final report within 90 days.
The public has been invited to submit relevant information, with over 150 witnesses from institutions linked to the aircraft or flight expected to participate through a hybrid approach of in-camera interviews and public hearings.
The committee has assured Malawians that the process will be systematic, evidence-based, transparent, and fair.
The crash occurred on June 10, 2024, when the Malawi Defence Force Dornier 228 aircraft went down in the Chikangawa forest in Nkhata Bay district.