Two people were fatally injured yesterday evening after a Cessna 185(5Y-BVL) helicopter they were traveling in crashed at the Kedong ranch in Naivasha, Nakuru County.
A statement by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) revealed that the helicopter was enroute Mbaruk area of Nakuru County from the Wilson Airport before the unfortunate incident occurred at around 5 pm.
“KCAA regrets to confirm that an aircraft accident occurred late yesterday at Kedong Ranch, Naivasha, involving a Cessna 185 aircraft, registration 5Y-BVL.Two persons were on board and unfortunately lost their lives. The flight had departed from Wilson Airport and was en route to Mbaruk” KCCA said in a statement.
The authority noted that the incident was reported by a member of the public to the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC).
They condoled with the families of the deceased and disclosed that it was coordinating with relevant authorities to facilitate response efforts and gather more details.
The authority did not disclose the cause of the incident at the time of publishing.
“KCAA is actively coordinating with relevant authorities, including the Air Accident Investigation Department (AAID), emergency responders, and local security personnel, to gather further details and facilitate response efforts,” KCAA remarked.
Confirming the incident, Naivasha OCPD Charles Mwai’s rescue operations were hindered by poor terrain and bad weather.
The accident comes a few weeks after a light aircraft land crashed and burst into flames in the Kwa Chocha area of Malindi killing three people.
The helicopter had taken off from the Malindi Airport before experiencing Mechanical issues.
The pilot’s effort to land in an open field proved futile as the helicopter landed along the Malindi-Mombasa highway killing two bodaboda riders and a pillion passenger.
The pilot, a flight attendant, and a student survived with minor injuries and were rushed to the hospital for treatment.