1994 Piper PA-31-350 accident at Ngong Hills (5Y-SMR)

Flight and accident overview 5Y-SMR, a Piper PA-31-350 operated by World Safari (K) Ltd, departed Wilson Airport at 0739 on 6 December 1994 for Kigali, Rwanda, under Instrument Flight Rules. The flight plan called for flight level 120, a direct route to the Nairobi Terminal Area Boundary, and an estimated elapsed time of two hours and thirty minutes. The aircraft carried three passengers, cargo, and electronics equipment, and was refuelled the previous day. After takeoff, it transferred to Nairobi Approach on 119.7 MHz at 0740 and made contact at 0742. At 0745, the pilot reported a technical problem while passing 7,500 ft above sea level and said he was in Instrument Meteorological Conditions. Nairobi Approach cleared the aircraft to the “GG” NDB at level 100 with no delay expected. The aircraft then lost radio contact and struck Ngong Hills from a southerly direction while flying toward the “GG” NDB, at approximately 7,000 to 8,000 ft above sea level. The crash destroyed the perimeter fence, a power-line pylon, and electricity cables, and the aircraft caught fire and rolled down the hill. The wreckage was found within about a ten-metre radius. All two crew members and three passengers were killed; no other persons were injured. The aircraft was completely destroyed by impact and fire. The left engine was burnt out with its propeller attached, the right main gear was intact, the right engine was sheared off and burnt behind the tail fin, and the horizontal and vertical stabilizers remained intact and unburnt. The pilot, Mr. Arshad Mohammed Sheikh, held a Kenyan Commercial Pilot Licence and was rated for the Piper PA-28 and PA-31. He had limited total experience and low hours on type, and the investigation noted that releasing him for the flight in the prevailing weather was not prudent. The aircraft was maintained under the manufacturer’s manual and Kenyan regulations, with a valid Kenyan Certificate of Airworthiness. A modification to the air-conditioning system had not been reflected in the load sheet, affecting centre of gravity, but this was not considered relevant to the cause. Weather at the scene included poor visibility of about 200 metres in rain and very low clouds. The “GG” NDB was operational, and the aircraft had no flight data recorder fitted or required. Findings indicated that the pilot was properly qualified but inexperienced, the aircraft was properly maintained, the air traffic clearance did not account for high terrain on the prescribed track, and the weather required traffic to be above 9,100 ft AMSL to clear the terrain. Between departure and 0745, the aircraft had climbed only 2,000 ft in six minutes.