A light aircraft made an emergency landing at the Kisumu International Airport on Thursday night after developing mechanical problems. The aircraft's landing gear failed, but the teams on the ground were assembled in time to help with evacuation. The aircraft had two occupants inside, a trainee pilot and an instructor, who were rushed to the hospital for treatment. They are said to be safe.
The aircraft was said to have landed with a thud and went around in circles for hours within the airport. The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) confirmed the incident in a statement, saying that the aircraft had suffered landing gear failure.
"We would like to confirm that a light aircraft has had an emergency landing at Kisumu International Airport after suffering landing gear failure. Both occupants are safe and have been rushed to hospital," KAA said.
The cause of the landing gear failure is still under investigation.
This is the second emergency landing at Kisumu International Airport in recent months. In February, a Kenya Airways plane made an emergency landing after one of its engines failed. The plane landed safely and no injuries were reported.
Kisumu International Airport is a major regional airport in western Kenya. It is the third-busiest airport in Kenya after Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Moi International Airport.