DASH 8 CRASH IN SOMALIA ADDS TO KENYA ARMY MD500E CRASH AS AVIATION INDUSTRY IN EAST AFRICA GETS RATTLED AGAIN
(Posted 14th July 2020)
(Picture credits: @Kenyanspider and JacDec via social media accounts)
Only a day after a deadly crash of a Kenya Army’s 50th Air Cavalry Battallion helicopter in Kitui county, which cost the two pilots their lives, are reports coming in that a Dash 8aircraft crashed at Somalia’s Ugas Khalif airport in Beledweyne. While the three crew of the cargo relief flight, which came in from Djibouti, escaped the wreck did the aircraft itself burn out in the absence of any fire fighting equipment except for buckets of water.
The aircraft, registered in Kenya, according to information received from Nairobi, operated under the registration 5Y-VVU by Bluebird Aviation – based at Wilson Airport – and was at the time of the accident 20 years old with the first flight taking place in January 2000.
A different source insisted the aircraft registration was 5Y-VVI, also operated by Bluebird Aviation and additional information is now being sought by ATCNews to clarify on the registration of the aircraft.
The Kenya Army’s 50th Air Cavalry Battallion flight was reportedly on a training mission when it crashed for yet to be established reasons, when it came down at Kanyonga, Masinga Sub County, Machakos.
Only a month earlier did another helicopter crash take place in Meru county, when a police helicopter, registered as 5Y-NPW, with six on board all of whom were then airlifted to Nairobi for treatment. This crash adds to the poor safety record of the Kenya Police Air Wing’ helicopter operations.
