There were moments of concern yesterday in the Masai Mara reserve, in Narok County, where a small light aircraft was involved in an accident whilst taking off from the Ol Kiombo airstrip.
According to initial reports from the authorities, the aircraft suffered a tyre blowout whilst accelerating down the runway, causing it to lose control and veer off course. Images shared on social media show the damaged aircraft with its nose on the ground and its tail raised, whilst emergency personnel and rangers rush to the scene of the accident.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has confirmed that there were no fatalities or serious injuries amongst those on board. The exact number of passengers has not yet been disclosed; initial reports suggest they were tourists travelling from the reserve to another protected park.
Several aspects of the incident remain to be clarified, including the type of operation the aircraft was carrying out, and the flight’s origin and destination. The aviation authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact causes of the accident.
This incident follows a series of aviation incidents recorded in Kenya in recent months. In May, a plane used for skydiving activities in Diani was forced to make an emergency landing without any consequences for those on board, whilst a few days earlier a Dornier 228 skidded off the runway whilst landing at Wilson Airport in Nairobi, causing its temporary closure.