A report by the Ministry of Roads and Transport has revealed that the aircraft in the mid-air crash that left two dead on Tuesday had been involved in two accidents before the fatal crash.
The findings from the investigation revealed that there were early warning signs on the functionality of the plane, that were ignored before the Tuesday crash.
According to emerging details, there has been a series of incidents involving the same aircraft and the same pilot training school, which operates out of the Wilson Airport.
The plane, manufactured in 1976, is part of a fleet used to train pilots at the school, investigated previously by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department at the Ministry of Transport.
The report further revealed that in January 2021, the same aircraft was involved in an accident during training, after it failed to land safely at the Wilson Airport.
The student pilot, who had 88 hours of training at the time of the incident, was on a solo flight, after successfully executing the first of three trials.
However, during the third trial, the plane bounced twice off the landing strip and crashed the front part, causing serious damage to the plane’s nose wheel.
In October 2020, the same plane was investigated after strange noises were heard during take-off, for a flight meant to take the crew to Turkana and back to the Wilson Airport.
According to the report, the student trainee then attempted to land the plane back to the airport, unfortunately, the aircraft sped off the runway, landing in the nearby grassy area.
Following the two incidents, the investigation department recommended that the school review its safety management systems, and training programs to improve students’ response to emergencies.
A statement by the Ninety-Nines Flying School confirmed that the aircraft involved in the accident belonged to them and that the two passengers who were on board were a student and an instructor.
"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.
