The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCCA) has launched a probe into recent air incidents and an accident involving Silverstone Air Services.
This is following a Monday morning incident where a plane operated by the local carrier crash-landed after losing one of its wheels.
The aircraft, a Dash 8 300, with registration number 5Y-NOP was headed to Nairobi from Lodwar when one of its tyres fell off during take-off forcing the pilot to crash-land at Eldoret International Airport in Uasin Gishu County.
In a statement on Monday afternoon, the state corporation announced that the audit is being performed to determine the airline’s level of compliance with the “current Civil Aviation regulations and their own company approved manuals and procedures.”
“The investigations are being conducted by the Air Accident Investigation Department (ARID) of the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, Urban Development and Public Works, ” the statement reads in part.
The incident happened just hours after another Silverstone’s aircraft hit and damaged another plane at the Wilson Aiport in Nairobi on Sunday morning.
The aircraft with registration 5Y SMT Fooker 50 collided with an East African Air plane 5Y SSB Kingair at around 7.25am.
CCTV footages and images seen by Kahawa Tungu, show the plane on the runway ready for take-off before the left winglet strikes the EA Aviation plane leaving it with a big dent.
In a separate incident early this month, a plane operated by the carrier skidded off the runway and crashed shortly after take-off leaving at least nine passengers with injuries.
The aircraft that was headed to Lamu crashed shortly after takeoff due to overloading and disregard to the safety regulations at the airport.
Silverstone Air operates in six locations in Kenya: Mombasa, Kisumu, Malindi, Ukunda, Lamu and Lodwar.
The Monday incident elicited an angry reaction from members of the public who called on the aviation authority to take action against the airline for endangering the lives of the people who rely on it for transport.
Here are some of the reactions:
Dear Kenyans, man whose picture appears below is called Capt. Tom Ogenche and he is the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority Director in charge of Aviation Safety Security and Regulation. As we await Silverstone to kill Kenyans, he is holed up somewhere chewing our taxes, doing nothing pic.twitter.com/3LOrEwCz8T
— Lord Abraham Mutai (@ItsMutai) October 28, 2019
https://twitter.com/TonyGachoka/status/1188758007217360897?s=20
Meet one of Silverstone's captains.😂 pic.twitter.com/g1CLtt1mLJ
— Mutinda (@brianmutinda_) October 28, 2019
Argument that we be grateful the Pilot of Silverstone steered the plane to safety shows how low we have sunk .. It is not normal for planes to have their tires fall off … It is not normal for planes to miss the runaway …. Kenyans shouldn’t normalize Mediocrity & Ineptitude.
— Donald B Kipkorir (@DonaldBKipkorir) October 28, 2019
As usual, a public regulator Kenya Civil Aviation Authority is asleep & has been giving free pass to Silverstone Air to operate when it can’t even afford new tires! Does KCAA want to be called to action when we have dead passengers? Do regulators in Kenya know their mandate?
— Donald B Kipkorir (@DonaldBKipkorir) October 28, 2019
https://twitter.com/ItsShark__/status/1188760857255337990?s=20
Hey @silverstoneair we want you to succeed and that's why we must be honest with you.
Don't listen to the slay queens and socialite MCs who claim to be friends but can't tell you the uncomfortable truth.
Embrace the criticism and be great!!! pic.twitter.com/ifdNTgG2PN
— Robert ALAI, HSC (@RobertAlai) October 28, 2019
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