Fresh details have emerged about the plane collision that occurred between a passenger plane and a training school aircraft on Tuesday, March 5, in Nairobi County.
In a statement, Ninety-Nines Flying School confirmed that the aircraft involved in the accident belonged to them and was being utilised for training at the time of the incident.
The institution revealed that the two passengers who were on board were a student and an instructor. The duo died in the mid-morning incident.
The training school asserted that the training session was normal and part of its routine.
"It is with a heavy heart that we wish to inform our esteemed customers and the general public of a fatal accident that involved one of our aircraft while on a routine training flight today at about 0940h local time.
"The aircraft had two crew on board; an instructor and a student. Investigations to determine the cause of the accident are being carried out by the relevant authorities. We condole with the families, friends and relatives of the deceased," read the statement in part.
Ninety-Nines Flying School added that investigations were underway to establish what may have caused the accident. At the time of publication, it was yet to be established who was in control of the training aircraft
Meanwhile, Safarilink, whose passenger plane collided with the training aircraft, stated that its plane incurred damage while climbing out of Wilson Airport, a move that prompted it to turn back.
The company confirmed that the aircraft had received clearance from air traffic control for the flight before the accident occurred. There were 39 passengers on board the aircraft at the time.
"Safarilink Aviation wishes 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 crew decided to immediately turn back to Nairobi-Wilson Airport for further inspection and assessment and landed safely. There were no casualties reported," read the statement in part.
On the other hand, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) confirmed that the Air Accident Investigation Department (AAID) and the National Police Service (NPS) had taken up the matter to establish the cause of the incident.
