A recent report by the Ministry of Roads and Transport has shed light on the tragic mid-air crash that resulted in the loss of two lives on Tuesday. The investigation uncovered concerning details about the aircraft’s history, revealing its involvement in two previous accidents.
The report emphasized that there were early indications of issues with the plane’ s functionality that were overlooked prior to the fatal crash. The aircraft, which dates back to 1976, was part of the training fleet operated by a pilot training school located at Wilson Airport.
In January 2021, the same aircraft was involved in a training accident. During a solo flight, a student pilot with 88 hours of training encountered difficulties during the landing phase, leading to the aircraft bouncing twice upon landing and causing significant damage to the nose wheel.
Similarly, in October 2020, the aircraft experienced another incident. Strange noises were reported during take- off for a flight to Turkana. Despite attempts to return the aircraft to the airport, the student trainee veered off the runway and landed in a nearby grassy area.
Following these incidents, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department recommended a comprehensive review of the school’ s safety management systems and training programs to improve students’ readiness for emergencies.