Incident Overview
On August 7, 1984, a Cessna 402A with registration 5Y-AMS crashed into Marwa Hill near Sultan Hamud, Kenya. The accident occurred at 06:01 GMT in bad weather conditions. All eleven people on board were killed, and the aircraft was completely written off.
Flight Details
The aircraft, operated by African Express and owned by Pioneer Airlines Ltd., departed Mombasa-Moi International Airport at 04:05 GMT on a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) plan. The intended route was Mombasa-Ukunda-Amboseli-Fig Tree Camp-Ukunda-Mombasa. After picking up two passengers at Ukunda, the flight became airborne with nine occupants at 04:20 GMT.
Pilot and Aircraft
The pilot was Colonel Felix Njuguna, a former Kenya Air Force officer who held a valid Air Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) and was rated for the Cessna 402. The aircraft, serial number S02, was manufactured in 1969 by Cessna Aircraft Company in Wichita, Kansas, USA, and powered by Continental IO-520 engines.
Investigation Findings
Weather reports indicated overcast conditions with low clouds covering hilltops, including Marwa Hill. The investigation determined that the pilot likely drifted approximately 8 degrees starboard of the required track while flying above the cloud layer. This error went undetected until after the estimated time of arrival at Amboseli had passed.
Cause Analysis
The aircraft was found to be approximately 45 nautical miles north of its destination when the pilot began circling to identify his position. While attempting to descend through gaps in the cloud and drizzle, the aircraft collided with Marwa Hill on a heading of approximately 110 degrees magnetic. The probable cause was the inability to maintain situational awareness in an unknown locality due to terrain conditions and weather.