Wreck of FlySax plane found at the peak of the Aberdares
Wreck of the FlySax plane that crashed in the Aberdare Ranges last week, killing all ten on board. PHOTO | COURTESY
The wreckage of a FlySax plane that went missing on Tuesday evening has been located in the Aberdares.
Aerial search teams on Thursday morning sighted the wreck at the peak of the ranges, according to Nyandarua County Commissioner Boaz Cherutich.
"Its a major breakthrough. Our search team did not go to bed, its now a matter of landing to do the rescue," he said.
"The rescue team has strategised on how to land and conclude the job."
The plane has been missing for over 36 hours and efforts to locate it on Wednesday were hampered by bad weather.
The only achievement that the multi-agency team recorded on Wednesday was putting logistics in place, including a command centre at Njambini Boys High School.
On Thursday, Mr Cherutich said they had stepped up their efforts, with seven helicopters on standby.
Two aerial cranes (heavy helicopters) from Kenya Defence Forces and Kenya Police are set to lead rescue efforts once the cloudy and misty weather clears.
The giant helicopters will guide five lighter choppers that will be used to lift passengers and crew, whose condition is yet to be known.
The light choppers were expected to take off from the command centre any minute from 8am.
The Cessna C208 aircraft, registration number 5Y-CAC, operated by Fly Sax, left a Kitale airstrip in Trans-Nzoia County at 4.05pm for Nairobi but lost contact with the control tower at 5.20pm.
On board were the pilot, Captain Barbra Wangeci Kamau, First Officer Jean Mureithi and eight passengers — Ahmed Ali Abdi, Karaba Sailah Waweru Muiga, Khetia Kishani, Matakasakaraia Thamani, Matakatekei Paula, Ngugi George Kinyua, Pinuertorn Ronald and Wafula Robinson.
The Air Accident Investigation Division of Kenya said until the search and pertinent investigations are complete, it is too early to know what caused the accident.
“Proper procedure has to be followed. We are not even sure if the plane crashed, we are just relying on a signal received from Kinangop," an official who didn’t wish to be named told the Nation on Wednesday.
