aircraft reg 5Y-CAC missing in Kenya today?
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aircraft reg 5Y-CAC missing in Kenya today?
Route Kitali to Nairobi Kenya,
operated by Fly Sax,
contact lost 40nm from Nairobi at 11,000ft ASL,
SAR will resume at first light,
operated by Fly Sax,
contact lost 40nm from Nairobi at 11,000ft ASL,
SAR will resume at first light,
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It’s reported that there are 2 crew and 8 passengers on board. It’s been in the Fly 540 fleet since 2009. I hope that it was a successful forced landing, though that’s probably a forlorn hope.
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Aircraft is a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
Regulations for single engine aircraft require a stall speed of less than 60 knots so a survivable forced landing should be likely in the event of an engine failure.
Regulations for single engine aircraft require a stall speed of less than 60 knots so a survivable forced landing should be likely in the event of an engine failure.
Last edited by The Ancient Geek; 6th Jun 2018 at 09:00. Reason: tyop
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A few hours ago East African Safari Air Express Limited put out an update. 2 helicopters were sent out at first light to search for the aircraft but had limited ability due to bad weather in the search area. As the weather slightly cleared during the day, East African Safari Air Express Limited deployed 3 additional helicopters to join the SAR efforts under the control of the National Disaster Unit.
As of about 3 hours ago the aircraft had not been sighted and the ground team is still searching.
Relatives and next of kin are welcome to convene at the Weston Hotel where any updates received will be given. The crisis numbers are +254 706305305/ +254 748590487/ +254 748590488.
The aircraft crew is Captain Barbara Kamau and First Officer Jean Mureithi. Of the 8 passengers, 3 are expatriates and 5 are Kenyan Nationals.
My thoughts are with all those on board and their families at this time
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Kenyan airlines are really trying, they do most of the work with dignity and with strict adherence of the law. I don't have facts but allow me to say that there's a serious problem with our CAA and some other government agencies. CAA seems to be very strict on regulations expected from the airlines/ operators side but when it comes to them playing their part they seems to be very irresponsible. Geographically Kenya is not that big or complicated for a missing aircraft to remain without trace for more than 20hrs.I know safety is key and so night operations may have been difficult but surely the day operations in that forest could be possible even using other measures not necessarily air. My 2cent is that the aircraft accident investigation department of CAA is a let down to the Kenyan CAA and the Disaster management team is also a let down. CAA maybe strong but one single spoiled bean is enough to destroy the entire mixture of Githeri
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Sadly, the wreckage of the aircraft has now been discovered at Elephant Point in the Aberdare Mountains. The crash site is near a cliff in a mountainous forested area which will make it very difficult to access. The search was hindered by low cloud and heavy rains for the last 2 days.
An air accident investigation has now been started by the Kenyan Ministry of Transport and the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.
FlySax has issued a further statement with a list of passenger names.
As far as I know, ground searchers have not yet reached the crash site, but I feel it unlikely there will be any survivors given the nature of the terrain. The Aberdare Mountains have claimed many aircraft over the years, both fixed and rotary wing.
An air accident investigation has now been started by the Kenyan Ministry of Transport and the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.
FlySax has issued a further statement with a list of passenger names.
As far as I know, ground searchers have not yet reached the crash site, but I feel it unlikely there will be any survivors given the nature of the terrain. The Aberdare Mountains have claimed many aircraft over the years, both fixed and rotary wing.
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The Aberdare mountains are CFIT territory with a long history of VFR flights going wrong. There are very few navaids to make IFR practical and it only takes one mistake. Flying an unpressurised single where the MSA is 15000 feet is a tough job, They do it every day and eventually something like this will happen.
Welcome to Africa, my condolences to all concerned.
Welcome to Africa, my condolences to all concerned.
The self invented IFR procedures based on self programmed GPS waypoints and programming has been used by pilots of all origins for a long, long time in the African continent. This was very likely CFIT, the only question is really why and how. Hopefully management will be held accountable, as they most of the time are part of the “problem”. My thoughts are with the families of the crew and passengers.
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The Aberdare mountains are CFIT territory with a long history of VFR flights going wrong. There are very few navaids to make IFR practical and it only takes one mistake. Flying an unpressurised single where the MSA is 15000 feet is a tough job, They do it every day and eventually something like this will happen.
Welcome to Africa, my condolences to all concerned.
Welcome to Africa, my condolences to all concerned.
Those airports are separated by 5 miles. Unless ATC gave vectors that should be not the problem. I would have gone with the initial flight plan to Wilson and then divert to the International airport.
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The self invented IFR procedures based on self programmed GPS waypoints and programming has been used by pilots of all origins for a long, long time in the African continent. This was very likely CFIT, the only question is really why and how. Hopefully management will be held accountable, as they most of the time are part of the “problem”. My thoughts are with the families of the crew and passengers.
Really sad.
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There is a lot that we will never know because the Caravan is too small to require voice and data recorders.
A lot of data should be recoverable from the memory chips of any GPS devices on board. I am highly suspicious of the newspaper reports of a "controller" causing a diversion - there is a lot of journalistic interpretation in that report.
Either way. a VFR flight should not have been in cloud, especially in an area prone to cumulogranitus.
The MSA is 15000 feet which is a challenge in an unpressurised aircraft so they were obviously too low.
A lot of data should be recoverable from the memory chips of any GPS devices on board. I am highly suspicious of the newspaper reports of a "controller" causing a diversion - there is a lot of journalistic interpretation in that report.
Either way. a VFR flight should not have been in cloud, especially in an area prone to cumulogranitus.
The MSA is 15000 feet which is a challenge in an unpressurised aircraft so they were obviously too low.
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The weather in Kenya has been unprecedented with the rains that have been falling recently. The Abedares were always ‘interesting’ to fly over IFR during the rainy season and having done in regularly while in charter, then later with East African Airways in Dak’s one was always going to get a rough ride.
I would have thought that most of the Caravans had some rather safi ‘glass' in the cockpits, I had relatives and friends who flew them for Phoenix, but if the crew were not Instrument rated and trying to maintain VFR then it is a very sad story that has unfortunately been done before.
I have one acquaintance who was flying a 402 back to Wilson in bad weather and flew into the Nothern side of the Ngong hills trying to get back to Wilson, miraculously though he survived, later flying for Cathay. This sadly is not the case here.
Commiserations and thoughts for the family and friends of those who died.
I would have thought that most of the Caravans had some rather safi ‘glass' in the cockpits, I had relatives and friends who flew them for Phoenix, but if the crew were not Instrument rated and trying to maintain VFR then it is a very sad story that has unfortunately been done before.
I have one acquaintance who was flying a 402 back to Wilson in bad weather and flew into the Nothern side of the Ngong hills trying to get back to Wilson, miraculously though he survived, later flying for Cathay. This sadly is not the case here.
Commiserations and thoughts for the family and friends of those who died.