There was a massive scare among passengers on board Jambojet flight no 8657 from Nairobi to Kisumu on Friday evening after the flight struck a bird during landing approach.
The flight which was also supposed to fly others back to Nairobi was cancelled after it was discovered that the bird had caused a massive dent on the nose of the plane and a crack on the cockpit window.
The return leg of the Jambojet flight number JM 8657, Kisumu to Nairobi, was cancelled after which passengers were booked into hotels in Kisumu as crews called for other planes to come to fly the passengers back to Nairobi.
Passengers who are stuck in Kisumu have been scheduled to depart on various airlines including KQ and other Jambojet flights on Saturday.
While uncommon, birds are a serious risk to flights into and flying out of Kisumu International Airport as it is worsened by the garbage dumpsite which is just almost along the flight path. Kenya Airports Authority lacks the requisite scaring kits for the airport.
Some of the scaring technologies and tricks used by airports include wave generators, pyrotechnic sound makers, air cannons, trained bird predators and chemical repellents.
While cruise level strikes are uncommon, planes typically encounter birds below 5,000 feet, just before landing or during take-off. Most bird-plane collisions result in minor dents or damage to the exterior of the plane.
A collision with an entire flock or just a single larger bird can severely damage a plane
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