An investigation into the incident where two planes collided mid-air near the Wilson Airport has left more questions rather than answers. On Tuesday, March 5, a Dash 8, belonging to Safarilink Aviation Limited, en route to Mombasa, collided with a Cessna aircraft belonging to 99 Flying School after take-off from Wilson Airport. The instructor and student who were onboard the Cessna aircraft died on the spot after the plane crashed at the Nairobi National Park. Safarilink’s plane managed to return to the airport, where it landed safely with its 44 people on board. The probe commissioned by the Ministry Of Transport And Infrastructure has revealed that the aircraft, a Cessna 172M, serial number 172-65726, was manufactured in 1976. Subscribe to watch new videos How many times has a Cessna 172M been investigated According to the report, the plane is part of a fleet used in training pilots at by 99 Flying School, registered on August 2, 2018. In the findings, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department disclosed that the plane had been involved in two incidents before the latest fatal crash. Both incidents described as serious were investigated by the authorities who later cleared it. In October 2020, the plane had problems taking off from Wilson for a cross-country training flight, with unusual noises coming from the propeller. The trainee tried landing the plane at Wilson, but it went over the runway and landed in the grassy areas next to it. The trainee and trainer both escaped unharmed with the investigations recommending 99 Flying School reviews and enhances its safety management systems. During a training flight at the Wilson Airport in January 2021, the aircraft failed to land properly. The report also states that the pilot in training, with 88 hours of flight time, had been cleared to fly solo and had successfully completed the first of three touch-and-go flights when disaster hit. “The pilot’s failure to follow balked landing procedures following a bounced landing resulting in propeller strike, detachment of the nose landing gear wheel assembly, fork and subsequent damage to the aircraft,” read the report in part.
by Didacus Malowa
