A witness has revealed the last moments of a light aircraft that crashed before bursting into flames in the Kwachocha area of Malindi, Kilifi County.
The accident which happened near the busy Malindi-Mombasa highway on the afternoon of Friday, January 10, claimed the lives of two boda boda riders and a pillion passenger.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) stated that the Cessna 172 plane operated by the Kenya Aeronautical College crashed about 2 Kilometers from Malindi airport and had three people on board who sustained serious injuries.
“The aircraft had three people on board who survived and were rushed to the nearest hospital. Meanwhile, regrettably, there were 3 fatalities on the ground. Government agencies are already on site to establish the cause of the accident,” KCAA said.
One of the witnesses at the accident scene named Alberto Nyaga has since revealed how the moments unfolded during the crash. Speaking in an interview, the witness recalled how he helped save the occupants of the plane.
According to Nyaga, the plane first struck a boda boda rider riding along the highway before it crashed.
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Last moments of Malindi plane crash
He further said that the people on board the plane called him to rescue them moments after the aircraft crashed which prompted him to rush and break one of the doors.
“When the aircraft came down, there was a boda boda rider who was riding on the road and hit first by the plane. After the plane crashed, the occupants on board called me to save them. I rushed, broke the door and helped one of the males inside the plane who also helped me rescue the female who was with him,” said Alberto Nyaga.
Victor Kaudo, another witness added, “We saw the plane landing on the highway. So, I alighted from the boda boda that I was riding on and left the rider to continue with the journey. Immediately after he went, the plane burst into flames less than thirty seconds later. The rider abandoned the motorcycle and took to his heels.”
Another eyewitness Kennedy Mwangi described how the plane crash landed, saying that one of the boda boda riders was burnt beyond recognition in the fire that followed the crash as he tried to salvage his motorcycle from the scene.
Investigations launched
Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) Safety Manager George Otieno confirmed that those in the ill-fated aircraft were a captain, a trainee and an instructor who were rescued by emergency responders.
Also Read: Passenger Shares Video of Last Moments Before Plane Crash That Killed Dozens
Otieno said that the flight was a standard training operation when the aircraft encountered a technical issue, forcing an emergency landing.
“This was a routine training flight that usually operates from Malindi, conducting circuits around Malindi and Watamu. It is unclear what went wrong, but their attempt to land back at runway 8 of Malindi Airport was unsuccessful,” said Otieno.
Investigations into the incident have been launched by the Directorate of Air Accident Investigations and the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.
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