Two Planes Collide Mid Air Shortly After Take Off From Wilson Airport

A Safarilink plane on Tuesday, March 5 collided with the 99Flying Club aircraft shortly after take-off from Wilson Airport in Nairobi.

In a statement, Safarilink said the incident happened at 9:45 am and its plane was carrying 39 passengers and five crew members headed to Diani in Kwale County.

The plane was forced to turn back to Wilson Airport for inspection and assessment. All passengers on board landed safely.

“Safarilink Aviation wishes to report that this morning at 9:45 Local Time our flight number 053 with 39 passengers and 5 crew on board headed to Diani experienced a loud bang soon after take-off.

“The crew decided to immediately turn back to Nairobi- Wilson Airport for further inspection and assessment and landed safely. There were no casualties reported,” read the statement in part.

The airline noted that it has contacted agencies to investigate the incident.

“The relevant agencies have been notified and together with Safarilink Aviation are investigating this incident. We will provide an update once we have more information,” Safarilink added.

According to reports, two people on board of the 99 Flying Club aircraft died in the Tuesday morning incident.

The 99 Flying Club is a flying training school based in Nairobi catering to private commercial and airline sectors.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) in a statement said it has commenced investigations together with the National Police Service and the Air Accident Investigation Department (AAID) to establish the cause of the accident. 

"Investigations have commenced through various agencies led by the Air Accident Investigation Department (AAID) and the National Police Service to establish the cause of the accident. Safety of the public, property, and operations remains param to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority," the authority stated.