PIPER CRASH KILLS PILOT
(Posted 01st June 2015)
(File photograph courtesy of ‘Pilots Kenya’ via Benson Kabugi Wamwea)
A Piper Dakota PA28-236 aircraft, registered in Kenya as 5Y-DMS, crashed yesterday late afternoon enroute a flight from Naivasha to Nairobi’s Wilson Airport. The plane came down in Kiambu County’s Limuru area near the village of Rironi where it reportedly struck a radio transmission tower before crashing into some buildings. At least two persons on the ground were taken to hospital with injuries sustained when the plane impacted. From available information was visibility poor due to foggy conditions over the Limuru hills.
The pilot, named as Capt. Torut, who was also an instructor, did not survive the crash. No passengers were on board the ill-fated flight. Condolences are expressed to his family, colleagues and friends.
Less than two weeks ago was a Kenyan registered Cessna C208B Caravan literally destroyed on landing at South Sudan’s Madeng airstrip. The aircraft, owned and operated by Airworks, is registered in Kenya as 5Y-NKV and has been in service for 21 years. Thankfully were no casualties reported from that crash at Madeng, giving added notoriety to the condition of that airstrip which surface is black cotton soil and which has no perimeter fencing.
