New details have disclosed how student pilots survived two crashes in the ill-fated plane that crashed mid-air in Nairobi killing a student and an instructor.
According to an investigation from the Ministry of Sport, the ill-fated plane a Cessna 172M, serial number 172-65726, was operated by Ninety-Nines Flying School and registered on August 2, 2018. The aircraft according to the report was manufactured in 1976.
Despite operating for over 3 decades, the aircraft was still being used by the school for training purposes and was involved in two accidents before crashing after colliding with a Safarilink plane mid-air.
The first incident was reported in October 2020 when the trainee pilot heard some strange noise from the propeller immediately after takeoff.
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The plane was destined for Narok but it was forced to make a U-turn. While trying to land at Wilson Airport, it went over the edge of the runway and landed in the grassy areas next to the runway.
Both the trainee and the trainer escaped unhurt, while the aircraft sustained damage to the nose wheel steering link assembly.
In January 2021, the plane failed to land at Wilson Airport. The plane which was undertaking a training flight failed to land but instead bounced back and the nose wheel of the craft hit the ground, occasioning damage to the aircraft.
The student behind the wheels failed to manoeuvre during that shocking encounter.
Investigators in their report stated the probable cause of this incident as “The pilot’s failure to follow baulked 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."
Following the two incidents, the aviation school was advised to ensure student pilots are adequately trained for operations in abnormal conditions.
In the latest incident, a student and an instructor died on the spot following a mid-air crash. The student who was identified as Mariam Omar was buried on Wednesday.
