What happened
On the morning of the incident, a cargo flight carrying miraa departed Wilson Airport at 03:39, bound for Guriceel Airstrip, Somalia. The initial stages of the flight, including takeoff and climb, proceeded without incident. However, while cruising at FL230 at 04:23, the crew notified Nairobi Area Control Centre of a slight technical issue and requested a return to Wilson Airport. During the subsequent descent, the aircraft turned from a heading of 50° to 240° magnetic.
As the aircraft descended through various flight levels, the crew reported that they were unable to maintain FL200 due to traffic and requested further descent. At 04:41, Nairobi Approach Radar established contact with 5Y-VVQ and provided directional instructions. During this period, the crew disclosed that they had shut down one engine as a safety precaution. By 04:45, the crew confirmed that the malfunction specifically affected the left engine, though they stated no external assistance was required.
The aircraft requested radar vectors for an ILS approach to runway 06 at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, with a long final intended for runway 3/32 at Wilson Airport. By 05:14, the aircraft was descending through 7000ft on a heading of 310°. At 05:15, the crew reported passing into Visual Meteorological Conditions. After being cleared for a straight-in approach to runway 32, the aircraft was observed by the tower controller to be high on its approach.
During the short-final phase, the aircraft performed a 5° right bank, followed by a sudden, steep left bank of 30° within four seconds. The aircraft's left wing struck the ground approximately 100 meters outside the airport perimeter fence. The impact caused the aircraft to flip, strike the airport fence, and come to rest near the runway 32 threshold. The impact resulted in an immediate fire. There were 0 fatalities and 0 injuries reported in the provided text, though the aircraft was destroyed.
Findings
- The flight crew elected to shut down the left engine following a low oil pressure warning.
- The aircraft experienced a steep left bank during the final approach, leading to the wing strike and subsequent rollover.