EBB Air jet overshoots runway at Mandera Airstrip, all 36 on board survive
via Tuko3 min read
An EBB Air Embraer jet overshot the runway at Mandera Airstrip on April 24, crashing into vegetation. All 36 passengers and crew members survived the incident. Images showed the aircraft's nose buried in thick brush with smoke rising from its left wing. The exact cause of the accident is still under investigation. This incident follows a Safarilink crash-landing at Wilson Airport last month, which intensified scrutiny over Kenya's aviation safety standards. In that March 20 incident, a Safarilink flight, operated by ALS, veered off the runway at Wilson Airport, but all 39 passengers and crew were safely evacuated. Senator Godfrey Osotsi, who was on board, criticized the emergency response and highlighted concerns about Wilson Airport's safety and emergency shortcomings, including the absence of functional surveillance cameras and runway lighting. The Senate Committee on Roads and Transport questioned Kenya Civil Aviation Authority KCAA Director General Emile Rao regarding the Wilson Airport incident. Rao stated that Air Traffic Control was operational and that the pilot might have misjudged the situation due to heavy rainfall. He clarified that while ATC provides weather updates, the pilot makes the final decision to land. Rao also dismissed claims that Wilson Airport is used for transporting contraband cargo, stating that flights outside operational hours 6:30 am to 10 pm only occur for medical emergencies.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Tuko.
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