Plane down in Nairobi, Kenya - reports
 

REUTERS SNAP 16:47GMT PASCOT-HOME

SEVENTY-SIX PEOPLE FEARED DEAD IN NAIROBI PLANE CRASH -KENYA’S KTN TELEVISION
mfl

Just spoken to Nairobi... The emergency services are responding to a reported 747 200 problem. HOWEVER, details are very sketchy, this is not confirmed by any means, and there is also the large possibility that this is a 'simulation' to check emergency services readiness. Will get back to you if I find out more. Please post more if you get.

Can now confirm that it a simulation. The airport runs simulations every now and then to see how the whole place reacts.

BBC have "pulled" the "Breaking News"

CNN:
BREAKING
NEWS Kenyan police deny air crash, say alert caused by security drill, Reuters reports. Full story to come.

NoD

Well, I think they answered their own question about how everyone reacts :rolleyes:

Kenya security drill sparks air crash scare -police
NAIROBI, Aug 21 (Reuters) – An air disaster drill at Nairobi’s main airport sparked a scare that an airliner had really crashed and a flurry of media reports saying so on Wednesday, a Kenyan police source said.
“They’ve caught us completely unawares, it was a very realistic drill,” said a Kenyan police source at the airport, one of the security personnel who rushed to the airport in answer to the security alert.
Earlier, Kenya’s KTN television news reported that 76 people were feared dead after an airliner had crashed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Separately, a Kenyan Airport Authority spokesman told Reuters that nine people had been killed when a Boeing 737 airliner had crashed at about 7.00 p.m. (1600 GMT).
An airline official confirmed that a major security drill was under way.
mfl

CNN Now confirming that this was an exercise...... (1719Z)

Only in Africa.............:eek: :rolleyes: :eek: :rolleyes:

Only in Africa...?

Maybe so, but at least they go through the motions, which is more than some places in the "underdeveloped world" I have operated into...

Good for the authorities. It certainly also proves how quick news flashes round the globe, correct or not, not sure how good that is.

Thank God ..... for professionalism in Africa.

Testing the response of emergency services is highly commendable.

Telling outright lies to airport officials, security forces and the media is not very clever.

Here, police, fire crews and journalists are often asked to co-operate in such exercises to test response times and communication systems. Everyone who takes part does so on the understanding that it is made clear what is an exercise and what isn't. Sometimes this involves recognised codewords. If you don't have this sort of arrangement, you get pandemonium which isn't safe for anybody.

Bad news like that really improves that sense of confidence we’re looking for 9/11 celebrations. Thank you very much Kenyan authorities you did a good job bringing more panic to the world. I can’t figure out how an announcement that deceives everyone can improve African aviation safety statistics. Ok, people were fooled, what else? Are they really prepared to deal with a real 747 disaster - or better, avoiding one - apart from sending a message to the media?

:confused:

They also said an 'unidentified celebrity' was on board.
I agree that testing emergency response times is fair enough but flashing news to the media like this is just sheer stupidity.

Hey everybody, at least they are trying. Good for them.

What's up with you guys, and you Downfourgreen,

I find your comments very cheap and lacking maturity. Do you think that communication between governments agencies, and with the press is easy in Kenya. Do you know what it is not to have phone lines for hours. Whether it was done properly or not, at least it was done, and it works and it is good that a country in economical difficulties like Kenya does it. I find it very easy for you to criticize without having even experienced the place. And when you talk about 9/11, please do not forget that Nairobi was hit by a bomb that killed 100s of innocents, before 9/11. The news may have not reached deep inside Dakota maybe, but it marked the town for good and it is on all Kenyans mind. They don't play with terrorism there, specially now.
Please stop linking plane accidents to terrorism. Planes have crash before and after 9/11 and will continue. And I really don't care that a bunch of blood-thirsty journalist, based in Africa in search of famine, war, disaster and other killing viruses have jumped on the story before verifying the facts. This is basic journalism. Get a confirmation by any authority before making headline news.
and talking about frightening people, before the 9/11 anniversary, I don't know where you've been hidding for the last months, but I have been in Florida since March and the only thing we can hear/see on TV is related to terrorism, what they can do, what they have, chemical, urban warfare, bombing Irak, and the list continue. We get messages everyday at the FBOs about potential terrorist attacks and to be ready.
So, please don't tell me that a noisy drill-crash in Kenya is not welcomed at this time. Who knows where Kenya is in the US anyway.

Hope you won't watch TV or read USA today.

My only question is, "What procedure do you have in place to cancel the drill and divert all your resources to a real emergency if it should occur during the drill?"

As long as those at the sharp end know that is all that matters.

Well done Nairobi.

SR
Thought Kenya was in Africa, not the US!
:D

Hey buddy,
Congratulations to Kenyan aviation authority, if they’ve thought that nobody would care about Kenya even with its communication limitations…well, even in very far countries that false information was received. But, I really hope that they’ve reached a higher aviation safety degree after that emergency exercise.
There are several emergency training everywhere and everyday, even in poor countries, but I never seen a worldwide coverage. Everybody should know that aviation community has suffered since last year with stupid news posted by unqualified journalist. Maybe you don’t care about it because you don’t depend on it to survive. Passengers, and potential ones, have been frightened with anything concerning aviation safety even with a hoax. It’s inconceivable to use international press to spread a false 747 crash alert. I’m wondering why they needed to create a big lie, including an important personality, to improve their techniques to deal with a large scale emergency…And I’m sorry they don’t deserve a lack of careful attention to their feelings and problems, but now we are talking about aviation issues.

Down4green,

Hey flyer, I get your point man, but still think it is a bit too easy to shoot on the ambulance. I am and will as long as I can make a living as a pilot and suffer like anyone else form the industry downfalls resulting from a bad economy which was accelerated, but inevitable, by 9/11. I live in Tanzania and work in both country, I have been there for over 12 years and think that I have a little understanding on the situation.

That a journalist called the DCA and airport authorities because he scanned the news and got the info by a clerk in some bumf@#k office in Nairobi is bad luck for the buddy. Maybe before sending the info to Reuters he should have checked with the upper management of the Airport Authority.

I find a little bit exagerated that you focuse on Africans doing a drill and quickly concluding that the drill in Nairobi has an influence on our industry. Gosh. This is giving a lot of credit to the smart guy who launched the drill today.

What about the evacuation at Miami Airport today, and the other evacuations that happened at 4 other US airport in the last 5 months. Should we also shoot on these airport directors for scaring passengers and fueling the paranoia?!

We are pilots before all and we live from the industry, we should be more balanced in our judgments and not go on a free witch hunt and find scape-goats at any occasion.
Enjoy the skies man.

Much as I hate to prolong this incoherent discussion, I must take issue with this:

Absolute nonsense, simply not true.

The 'upper management' of the airport authority were uncontactable, as of course they would be during an emergency. The emergency was reported on local television because a member of the public phoned in to say there was an emergency in progress at the airport. The airport press liaison staff then contacted journalists (not the other way round) to say an emergency was in progress. Apparently they wanted to test their media handling as part of the drill. They won't make that mistake again.

ajamieson,

All right, my mystake. I apologise for that and debating on the issue. I can see it doesn't go anywhere anyway as we have very different views on the subject and I should not have waisted your time and others.

Your profile does say "News editor", so I guess you're in a better position that I am when it comes to "verified" news. It's always all true isn't it.

Welcome to East Africa whenever.