Fokker 50 cargo accident after t/o in Nairobi

[deptrai]

BREAKING: Four feared dead as cargo plane crashes at Utawala near GSU training school | The Star (http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-173908/breaking-four-feared-dead-cargo-plane-crashes-utawala-near-gsu-training-school)

A converted Fokker 50 (5Y-CET, skyward int'l aviation, ex Luftwaffe Cityline) transporting khat to Mogadishu hit a 2 storey commercial building 4 am shortly after takeoff from JKIA. 4 on board dead (referred to as "the pilot and his assistant" in some reports). Might have been a loadmaster in addition to 2 pilots, and a 4th person. Building was most likely empty at the time of the accident. Two guards injured.

"According to preliminary investigations, the vehicle was flying low after takeoff" - yes obviously it didn't climb. No speculations as to why so far.

[ExXB]

Cargo apparently Khat, a mild stimulant which is banned in much of Western Europe. (Picture here: http://www.channel4.com/news/kenya-plane-crash-nairobi-cargo-crew-killed?)

Any chance that the mere presence of the stimulant on board could have affected the crew? (I admit I don't know very much about this drug)

[FlightlessParrot]

ex Luftwaffe Cityline

Perhaps Lufthansa Cityline?

[deptrai]

Khat is usually chewed, afaik, I highly doubt the mere presence would have an effect. it's a stimulant (similar effects like amphetamine, just not as strong): makes people feel more alert, suppresses appetite etc. Cant see how it would have anything to do with the accident (unless cargo wasnt properly stowed and shifted)

[Agaricus bisporus]

Khat flights are notorious for being grossly overloaded, and I mean GROSSLY. They know from experience how much the aircraft will lift so not infrequently it barely scrapes the fence and relies on ground effect and no giraffes once over the game reserve. I jest not. (Think that Il17 video take off in Oz). They all go out in a rush first thing to get to Somalia first for best prices so its sometimes foggy too. Any safety culture is all but non-existent.

One little glitch to an engine, or a greedier than usual boss, or a more unscrupulous than usual loader and you're in a pickle.

It used to be common to see King Air pilots at Wilson sitting at the controls being walled in by a cabin full of Khat. No way out except by the postcard size dv window...That's Khat flying. The urgency is because it has a very short useful life, it is stale after a day or so hence the rush as fresher stuff commands higher prices.

Khat won't affect the crew unless the chew the orrible stuff, which thankfully the UK has just - finally - banned this week. It's pernicious stuff - mild stimulant my eye. It makes the chewers (who have to continuously top up a vast revolting ball of green cud in their bulging cheeks) talkative in the first hour or two, argumentative after that, then frequently aggressive or even raving and finally knocked out. They lie around in heaps in the streets in the afternoon. Habitual Khat chewers are unlikely to do any work. It's movement and sale is almost certainly controlled by organised crime at best and funds terrorist organisations in places like Somalia where it provides copious amounts of money. It's suitable stuff for a place like Mog. A F27 load of khat would be worth $way way into 6 figures. Upland Kenya, Ethiopia and I think Yemen grow it where it certainly provides many farmers with a living.

Fortunes are made on it, lives and arguably whole countries wrecked by it and many lives are lost.

The Khat trucks (usually dangerously unroadworthy) stage their own version of the Paris Dakar daily to rural regions - in a country that cannot feed itself or organise the most basic of government - fights occur in the Khat markets which are feral places at best, monumental crashes are routine. Its a business worth staggering amounts of money. In the poorest paces in the world.

There you are, just a bit of background.

[SOPS]

Very interesting post. Thank you.

[flydive1]

It makes the chewers talkative in the first hour or two, argumentative after that, then frequently aggressive or even raving and finally knocked out. They lie around in heaps in the streets in the afternoon. Habitual Khat chewers are unlikely to do any work

Sounds a bit like beer;)

[FlexibleResponse]

It looks like the cargo was saved... :-(

http://www.channel4.com/media/images/Channel4/c4-news/2014/July/02/02_kenya2_r_w_LRG.jpg

[Duck Pilot]

Cargo saved ? Similar thing happened to an ATR 42 that crashed and burned in PNG recently, although in that case the crew managed to escape.

[Agaricus bisporus]

It looks like the cargo was saved... :-(

You'd better believe that would be the case. And see who is "saving" it! Whoops! Did I day "saving"? As this is Qat perhaps I meant "looting"...probably more to the point. I expect - I am serious! - it was a higher priority to many than finding bodies or survivors.

Surprising lack of fire damage in the pics so far though

Perhaps I should explain my distaste for this shyte...

In 1993 I was flying aid into Somalia, principally Mogadishu when the famine had peaked, Siad Barre had been ousted and there was a chance to restore the place into the civilised world.
The UN were in MOG, mainly Nigerians, Pakis and French all of whom had the respect of the local thugs as they were not shy in returning fire. In Jan '93 the Americans landed in that farcical night amphibious landing into the klieg lights of the world's press and proceeded to undo all the work done by the above nations by their utter pussiness. At that time it was assessed that Somalia had had enough of weapons, warlords, technicals and butchery and would have voluntarily disarmed to a strong enough UN force. sadly the US proved a farce rather than a force and the opportunity was lost.

meanwhile we, at Wilson, struggled each day to ship aid to MOG alongside 404s, King Airs, Metros etc packing tons of Qat to Somalia each day. The aid agencies were up against charter companies with hugely lucrative contract to fly the foul stuff into the famine zone in order to fund the weapons and conflict we were trying to prevent. Essentially it was outbid the drug lords' charter rates or stay in Nairobi. So we outbid the drugs lords where we could, and ran out of affordable air transport after that so many died needlessly. Thanks, Granny, for your 50p in the bucket outside Tesco, but that's where your money went.

The system let the Qat flights go out easy peasy, the rest of us fought bureaucracy. Thanks Kenya, and what does that tell us? Many of those Qat flights went (i.e. still go) to completely unregulated strips in Somalia. What other purpose do you suppose such a regular cargo shuttle might be used for? Does anyone suppose that aren't used for that? The Qat trade in Nairobi was entirely Somali managed and controlled even then. Suppose the moslem loonies terrs haven't been making use of this for decades? Actually. it' almost certainly them that's running the entire shebang for decades. Shesh!

Anyhoo I ain't weeping when I see accidents like this, apart from the poor sods beneath it in Embakasi where it arrived. But not those that were able to make off with hundreds of sacks each worth a thousand dollars or more...

[deptrai]

Agaricus bisporus...your description of Wilson and the national park just outside brings back nice memories (nicer than some of the Nairobbery and East African tragedies you describe). Despite the tragedies....Your highly knowledgeable posts are a pleasure to read.

[Fr8Dog]

Agaricus bisporus

“In 1993 I was flying aid into Somalia, principally Mogadishu when the famine had peaked, Siad Barre had been ousted and there was a chance to restore the place into the civilised world.
The UN were in MOG, mainly Nigerians, Pakis and French all of whom had the respect of the local thugs as they were not shy in returning fire. In Jan '93 the Americans landed in that farcical night amphibious landing into the klieg lights of the world's press and proceeded to undo all the work done by the above nations by their utter pussiness. At that time it was assessed that Somalia had had enough of weapons, warlords, technicals and butchery and would have voluntarily disarmed to a strong enough UN force. sadly the US proved a farce rather than a force and the opportunity was lost.”

Another bitter Nigel at it again! The U.S. has caused all of the problems in the world right? Guess it’s time to throw some tea into the harbor once again!!
:=