Wreckage from a Cessna Citation business jet, operating as an air ambulance, that crashed into a residential district of Nairobi minutes into a two-hour flight to evacuate a patient from Hargeisa in Somalia, killing all on board and two people on the ground. Photo by Daniel Irungu/EPA
Six people were killed and two seriously injured in Kenya after a small executive jet operated by a medical charity crashed into a residential area shortly after take-off from Nairobi International Airport en route to northern Somalia.
All four people aboard and two on the ground died when the Cessna Citation XLS belonging to Amref Flying Doctors came down in a northeastern suburb of the capital on Thursday afternoon.
Kenya Civil Aviation Authority Director-General Emile Arao said the aircraft lost radio and radar contact with Air Traffic Control just three minutes into the flight.
People on the ground described hearing a loud bang before seeing a fireball in the sky and black smoke as the aircraft plummeted, hitting the ground very hard.
The military joined police in a search and rescue operation, while Air Accident Investigation Department officials dispatched to the crash site were expected to launch an official investigation.
The deceased on board included a doctor, a nurse, the captain and first officer, according to Amref, which said the aircraft was on a medical evacuation flight to pick up a patient 920 miles away in Hargeisa, the Somali capital.
“We are profoundly saddened by this tragic loss and extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of our fallen colleagues and the affected members of the community. We are doing everything possible to support the families, friends and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time,” said Amref Flying Doctors CEO Stephen Gitau.
Gitau added that the charity was cognizant of the impact on the community where the crash occurred and offered its sympathies and support.
According to its website, Amref Flying Doctors is affiliated with the African Medical and Research Foundation, an NGO, but its medical and air ambulance service operates on a commercial basis, with any profit going to support Amref’s work to deliver lasting health change in Africa.
