None of those on board a Mombasa Air Safari Cessna 208B Grand Caravan has survived after the aircraft came down shortly after departing Kenya’s coastal Diani airport.
The aircraft, with a single pilot, had been transporting 10 passengers – all citizens of Hungary and Germany – to the Kichwa Tembo airstrip near the Maasai Mara reserve, according to the carrier.
Kenya’s civil aviation authority states that the Grand Caravan crashed near Kwale, which lies some 10nm northwest of the departure airport, on 28 October.
“Government agencies are already on site to establish the cause of the accident,” adds director general Emile Arao.
Mombasa Air Safari, which was established more than 50 years ago, has a fleet of Grand Caravans. It says the type is configured for 13 passengers and does not carry a flight attendant.
Kenya’s transport ministry says Mombasa air traffic control lost radar contact with the aircraft at 08:35, about 10min after take-off from Diani.
Its wreckage was located in Kwale county, the ministry states, but none of the occupants had survived.
“The aircraft was destroyed by the impact and the ensuing fire,” it adds.
The operator is based at Mombasa’s Moi airport and operates scheduled services to the Maasai Mara, as well as Amboseli, Tsavo East and Tsavo West, plus charger flights from various locations in Kenya.
It identifies the aircraft involved as 5Y-CCA.
“We have activated our emergency response team and are fully co-operating with the relevant authorities, who have begun their investigation,” says the operator.
“Our primary focus right now is on providing all possible support to the families affected.”
Investigators have been dispatched to the scene, says the transport ministry. “The government of Kenya assures the public that aviation safety remains our highest priority,” it adds.
“We are committed to ensuring a transparent, thorough, and independent investigation, and will implement all necessary measures to uphold the highest standards of air safety in Kenya.”
