What happened
A scheduled commercial passenger flight departed Kisumu International Airport at 19:58 local time, bound for HKNW in Nairobi County. The flight was operating under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) with a planned approach to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (HKJK) or Kilimanjaro International Airport (HTKJ) as alternates. The crew had established a plan to follow the ILS for runway 06 at HKJK unless they acquired visual contact with runway 32 at HKNW.
Upon establishing visual contact with runway 32 at HKNW, the crew transitioned from the ILS to a visual approach. During this phase, the crew identified that the aircraft type/model was too high as it crossed the runway threshold. In an attempt to correct the glide path, the crew increased the descent rate to 700 feet per minute. This maneuver triggered an Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) "sink rate" alert.
The aircraft subsequently experienced a hard landing, which led to a loss of control. The plane veered off the right side of the runway into a grassy area, coming to a stop approximately 30 meters from the runway. The impact caused the nose landing gear to collapse, the left main landing gear to detach, and damage to the right main landing gear. There were 0 fatalities and all 37 occupants successfully evacuated the aircraft.
Findings
- The crew increased the descent rate to 700 feet per minute to compensate for being too high above the threshold.
- An EGPWS "sink rate" warning was activated prior to the impact.