Kenyan Airline Provides Update Following Mid-Air Collision Reports

05, Mar 2024 / 1 min read/ By Livenow Africa

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) confirmed on Tuesday, March 5, that two planes collided mid-air in Nairobi airspace.

Initial reports suggested that the collision occurred within Nairobi Airspace, resulting in one of the planes crash-landing in Nairobi National Park.

The KCAA announced that investigations had been initiated to ascertain the cause of the collision.

"Kenya Civil Aviation Authority wishes to confirm that an aircraft accident occurred at 10:05hrs involving a Cessna aircraft belonging to Ninety-Nines Flying School and a Dash 8 belonging to Safarilink Aviation Limited," stated the Authority.

"Investigations have commenced through various agencies led by the Air Accident Investigation Department (AAID) and the National Police Service to establish the cause of the accident."

The Diani-bound flight corroborated the incident, explaining that it was forced to return to Wilson Airport due to an emergency.

“We wish to report that this morning at 9:45 Local Time our flight number 053 with 39 passengers and 5 crew on board headed to Diani experienced a loud bang soon after take-off,” the airline's statement read.

Following the incident, the crew promptly decided to return to Wilson Airport, Nairobi, as a precautionary measure.

The aircraft landed safely, and inspections were initiated to determine the cause of the noise.

The airline confirmed that there were no casualties, with all 39 passengers and 5 crew members reported safe.

“The relevant agencies have been notified and are investigating this incident,” the statement continued, highlighting the airline's cooperation with the ongoing investigations.

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