Police helicopter down in Nairobi

[27ace]

Sad news this morning a police helicopter crashed this morning in Ngong just out of Nairobi. Seven fatalities including Kenya's Security Minister and his assistant. Two police pilots and two bodyguards perished as well. Early unconfirmed reports indicate that the helicopter was already on fire, or at least was emitting smoke before the crash.
What saddens me is that any meaningful investigation will probably be hampered or not be effective due to early contamination of the scene by spectators and non essential movement of aircraft parts by untrained investigators and even journalists as seen on television. Same as seen in Nigeria in the Dana Air crash.
At least now from reports the scene has been secured as I type.

[Tableview]

BBC News - Kenyan minister George Saitoti killed in helicopter crash

What saddens me is that any meaningful investigation will probably be hampered ......... by ........ non essential movement of aircraft parts by untrained investigators

A nice way of saying 'scavenging scum'

[ctrviolation]

Seriously, how will we ever get to the bottom of anything if all the evidence is contaminated.. Even prominent politicians are all over the scene as if they could investigate.
Its such a shame.
Contradicting reports about poor visibility were earlier reported, but eye witnesses claim they saw the eurocopter trailing smoke and revolving several times before impact.

[break dancer]

Saitoti just put his name forward for President - let the conspiracy theories start........

[Foxcotte]

So very sad

This is such a tragedy for the friends and relatives. And the saddest thing of all is that we still won't learn from this. Accidents like this keep on happening and NOTHING ever changes for the better.

There'll be a knee jerk reaction, everyone will pontificate, more regulations will be imposed but the core reasons will never be made public for others to learn from. We're doomed to keep repeating the same mistakes.

Four years ago we lost other government officials in similar circumstances - and four years later we have lost yet more innocents. When we will ever learn???

[bush man]

Out of interest, do the police airwing hold an AOC that allows them to fly paying passengers? Or is it a case of the tax payers funds being used to pay for such flights with a not so small back hand going to some airwing commanders pocket?

[coolaviator]

Kenya Police Air wing does not hold an AOC and like you probably said, the paying passengers/hirers do pay a rebated rate that probably ends up in some pples pockets.

Consipiracies have started and in my view, we shall never know what happened to the 7 pax...very sad indeed!

[27ace]

See thread currently running on Rotorheads for details of the aircraft

http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/472...n-one-yet.html

[27ace]

And another tread discussing the accident in more detail.

http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/487...pter-down.html

[bush man]

Crash chopper was flown from SA - News |nation.co.ke

Look at the last sentence. The KPAW employees flight attendants! That just proves that they had every intention of flying vips around without them holding all the correct licences.

Such a tragic accident and unnecessary loss of life. I hope the KCAA look into why they were doing charters without an AOC.

Silly question, the KCAA have the authority to police the police don't they? Or is it a matter of 'were the police, and we will do wtf we want, and if you don't like it, "I will arrest you!"'

[Lamyna Flo]

And that's not the issue here

Maybe not, but it's a fair point. What were they doing using a police chopper for a Harambee in the first place?

hardworking civil servants in Kenya

Ever heard the phrase, "contradiction in terms"?

Sorry, O/T, but please...

[Nickerbal]

"Foreign Investigators"

Read this morning that the families have hired forein epxerts. Chris Briers former CEO of Naturelink is one of them coming to Kenya to help investigations.