A CityLink Aviation Cessna 208 Caravan crashed near Juba, South Sudan, on April 27, 2026, killing all 14 people on board, according to the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority.
The aircraft was operating a domestic flight from Yei to Juba International Airport when it went down about 10 nautical miles southwest of the capital.
The Civil Aviation Authority said preliminary reports pointed to adverse weather and low visibility, though investigators had not determined the cause of the crash.
The aircraft, identified as a Cessna 208 Caravan registered 5Y-NOK, departed Yei at about 9:15 local time. Air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft roughly 30 minutes later as it approached Juba, authorities said.
All 13 passengers and the pilot died in the crash. The victims included two Kenyan nationals, with the remaining passengers identified as South Sudanese citizens.
CityLink Aviation operated the aircraft. The company provides domestic air service in South Sudan, where air travel often serves as a critical link between communities because of the country’s limited road infrastructure.
The South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority said it sent a team to the crash site to begin an investigation. Images and video from the area showed burning wreckage in hilly terrain near Luri, southwest of Juba.
Authorities had not released additional details about the flight, the pilot, or the aircraft’s maintenance history as of April 27. They also had not said whether the aircraft issued a distress call before losing contact with air traffic control.
The crash adds to South Sudan’s long record of aviation accidents. The country, which gained independence in 2011, has struggled with limited infrastructure, difficult operating conditions, and weak regulatory oversight. Previous accidents in the country have been linked to poor weather, aircraft condition, overloading, pilot error, and regulatory compliance issues.
In January 2025, 20 oil workers died when an aircraft bound for Juba crashed shortly after takeoff near oil fields in Unity State. South Sudan’s deadliest aviation accident occurred in November 2015, when an Antonov cargo aircraft crashed near Juba shortly after departure, killing dozens of people.
The Cessna 208 Caravan is a single-engine turboprop widely used for passenger, cargo, humanitarian, and remote-area operations around the world. The aircraft’s ability to operate from short and unimproved airstrips has made it common in regions with limited airport and road infrastructure.
