Chopper which crashed while carrying CS Murkomen involved in two past similar incidents

A chopper carrying Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Kenya Airports Authority Chairman, Caleb Kositany crashed during take-off in Mwachon, Eldama Ravine, Baringo County on Saturday morning.

Details of the incident which did not have any casualties, according to the police, remain scanty.

Murkomen on an X post assured that he had arrived safely after the incident.

"I arrived safely in Nyatike with the Chairman Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) to condole with our KAA MD Henry Ogoye who lost his loving mother. Earlier on, we had a small mishap and we thank God we are safe. Thank you all for your concerns, prayers and best wishes," he said.

As the relevant agencies kick off a probe into the incident, a look at the history of the chopper in question, the Bell 407, registration number 5Y-PKI shows that it has been involved in at least two incidents in the past six years.

It is however important to note that with every incident, the privately owned aircraft underwent repairs and necessary servicing before it was allowed back in the air.

In August 2020, the chopper failed to take off after experiencing a mechanical hitch in Kericho county where it was scheduled to ferry then Health CS Mutahi Kagwe to Director General Patrick Amoth back to Nairobi.

The CS and his delegation were forced to use road transport back to the city.

Similar incidents

On April 14, 2018, the same chopper suffered minor damages when its tail rotor hit a wire mesh on the perimeter fence of Kakamega airport and damaged the tail's rotor blade and vertical stabilizer as it was being taxied for overnight parking at the airport.

The Bell 407 helicopter which crashed during take-off in Mwachon, Eldama Ravine, Baringo County.

A report by the Ministry of Transport's Air Accident Investigation Division (AAID) established that while manoeuvring the aircraft to park properly without obstructing taxiways, the pilot's visibility was reduced leading to minor damages.

"Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) to ensure applicable maintenance actions following a tail rotor strike are fully complied with by the relevant Approved Maintenance Organisation (KWS Air Wing) in relation to this occurrence," the report recommended.

The country has experienced a worrying rise in aircraft incidents/accidents in recent months the latest happening on Tuesday, when a Safari-link-owned de Havilland Canada DHC-8-300 aircraft (5Y-SLK) departing Nairobi Wilson for Ukunda Diani, was involved in a mid-air collision with a Cessna 172 Skyhawk (5Y-NNJ) at around 9.45 am.

The Cessna operated by the 99 Flying Club crashed in the Nairobi National Park killing both of its occupants; a pilot and his trainee.

All 39 passengers and crew of five in the Safari-link plane were safely returned to Wilson Airport with no injuries.

Meanwhile, a cargo plane carrying ATMIS troop supplies veered off the runway at Jowhar Airport in Somalia during landing on Saturday morning.

Preliminary reports indicated that there were no casualties following the incident.