What happened
During the initial climb phase following departure from runway 06 at Nairobi-Eastleigh Airport (Moi Air Base), the aircraft experienced a failure of the left engine, which resulted in the propeller entering an autofeather state. Upon recognizing the malfunction, the captain notified Air Traffic Control and declared an emergency. The flight crew was subsequently cleared to perform a left-hand turn.
While executing a left-hand circuit and preparing for a landing attempt on runway 06, the aircraft flew into a region characterized by low cloud cover. This weather condition caused the crew to temporarily lose visual reference with the runway. During this period, the aircraft entered a stall and descended into the Kaloleni district. The impact occurred less than 2 km before the threshold of runway 06, striking several residential structures. The collision resulted in the destruction of the aircraft and multiple houses. The accident resulted in 52 fatalities, comprising 46 occupants of the aircraft and 6 individuals on the ground.
Findings
- The left engine failed during the climb phase.
- Loss of visual contact with the runway due to low clouds preceded the aircraft stall and subsequent crash.