A Skyward Express flight with 50 passengers on board is reported to have forced an emergency after it developed mechanical problems on Saturday, January 18, 2020.
Reports indicate that the Mombasa bound flight developed mechanical problems shortly after taking off from Manda Airport in Lamu.
The pilot was then forced to turn around and make an emergency landing after strange noises were heard, with a lot of smoke being emitted from the plane’s side.
The passengers have been reported to have been evacuated safely from the plane, hence no casualties or serious injuries.
Read: Jetways Airlines Plane Forced To Make Emergency Landing In Garissa After Developing Engine Problem
“Around 11am today we were on air when we heard strange noises coming from the engine, we also saw a lot of smoke on the right side, everyone was very scared,” a passenger said.
It has also been established that the flight had been delayed for about one hour before taking off, although the reasons surrounding it were not made clear.
In a footage that has been circulating online, a fire truck is seen approaching the plane after landing hence an indication of fire coming from the smoke witnessed earlier.
Additionally, passengers were to board another flight, although some were cynical about it and expressed their fears.
In another similar incident in November last year, a cargo plane operated by local airline Jetways was forced to make an emergency landing at Garissa airstrip after developing engine problem mid-air.
The incident came hours after the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCCA) suspended Silverstone Air from flying its Dash-8 planes they use for passenger flights for a period of seven days.
This was as a result of a series of accidents that have caused a scare in the aviation industry, forcing the regulator to begin investigations.
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