There was panic at the Wilson Airport on Saturday after a police helicopter crash-landed metres from the runway.
The helicopter, a Mil Mi-17 Hip, with registration number 5Y-SFA is said to have developed mechanical glitches as the pilot prepared to land.
Two police officers — a chief inspector and an inspector attached to the Kenya Police Airwing — and a flight engineer, were onboard during the afternoon incident.
Luckily, none of the occupants was injured during the scary incident.
A source intimated to a local media that the helicopter had arrived from Liboi in Garissa County.
This is the third incident that has been reported at Wilson Airport in less than a month.
On Tuesday evening, an aircraft operated by Safarilink skidded off the runway at the airport on landing from Lamu.
Read: Safarilink Aviation Plane Skids Off Wilson Airport Runway, Tyre Bursts
In a statement, Safarilink aviation stated none of the 10 passengers on board was injured during the incident.
“Our aircraft a Cessna Caravan C208 registration 5Y-SLJ had a tyre burst on landing at Wilson Airport at 6.20pm. We can confirm that there were no injuries and that the aircraft was procedurally removed from the runway,” said Safarilink aviation in a statement.
About a week ago, a plane operated by Silverstone Air hit and damaged another plane at the airport.
The aircraft, Fooker 50, registration 5Y SMT collided with an East African Air plane — King Air 5Y SSB — last week on Sunday morning.
Weeks before the incident, another plane operated by Silverstone Air 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.
The Civil Aviation Authority recently launched a probe into the recent incidents involving the airline after one of its planes 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 last week, 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.
Following the Saturday incident, netizens took to social media to decry the state of Wilson airport with some saying the airport needs renovation.
Here are some of the reactions:
Shocking that gaping potholes on the runway at Wilson Airport is normal for KAA officials…. Disaster in the waiting. How safe is Kenya's airspace…???
— Albert Kasembeli (@akasembeli) November 3, 2019
I posted about wilson airport having potholes a month ago but somebody from customer care wilson airport disputed my sentiments.
— janet.nyandiko@gmail.com (@janet_nyandiko) November 3, 2019
Kenyans are obsessed ….. Everyone is making fun ..tried to re-read this tweet didn't see the word "runway" are we for real …is that the only thing that can be renovated at Wilson Airport?
— Isaac Mutinda™ (@isaacmutinda) November 3, 2019
https://twitter.com/UgandanewsFeed_/status/1190687839723425794?s=20
Wilson Airport is becoming a deathtrap. Waiting for the "perfect" time to strike. Unless we close that airport down for renovation, we shall soon be sending condolences!
— Business Watch (@Business254_) November 2, 2019
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