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Flights Disrupted As Cargo Plane Crash-Lands at Kenyan Airport

Posted on: Saturday, 1 October 2005, 09:00 CDT

Excerpt from report by Kenyan KTN TV on 1 October

[Presenter] Operations at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport have been disrupted after a cargo plane crash-landed along the runway.

The 747 Jumbo belonging to Air Atlanta developed mechanical problems one hour after take off and was forced to detour back to the airport.

It, however, crash-landed as it attempted an emergency landing after its hydraulic brakes failed, blocking the runway.

Hundreds of passengers remains stranded after authorities diverted planes to either Moi Airport in Mombasa or Entebbe Airport in Uganda.

Latest reports indicate that the aircraft has been cleared off the runway and operations are set to resume in the next one hour.

[Reporter Tom Rocho] The dawn incident which caused panic and confusion involved a cargo plane transporting horticultural produce to Amsterdam in The Netherlands. Hardly one hour in the air, the pilot noticed mechanical failure on the plane's hydraulic brakes and asked to land back at Jomo Kenyatta Airport.

[George Muhoho, chairman Airports Authority] It was carrying about 120 tonnes of vegetables and it took off about one o'clock [local time].

[Rocho] A desperate attempt to hit the runway was unsuccessful as the plane's brakes could not hold, sending the Jumbo careening out of control and crashing at the end of the runway. Luckily the pilot had drained the tank of most fuel while in mid air. The plane therefore did not burst into flames. No death was reported.

[Muhoho] It was heard landing but fortunately our air services were on site and the pilot must have been also a good pilot and also lucky.

[Rocho] Oncoming flights had to be diverted to either Moi Airport in Mombasa or to Entebbe, Uganda, while those preparing for take off had to be stopped. The result: hundreds of stranded passengers.

[Muhoho] If the passengers are inconvenienced, we regret these and we apologize for that. Also the airlines themselves are definitely making a lot of loss.

[Rocho] Normal activity at the airport is expected to resume later in the afternoon as attempts to remove the plane from the runway continues. [Passage omitted]

Source: BBC Monitoring Newsfile

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