Incident Overview
While en route from Mombasa to Kichwa Tembo, the pilot of a small aircraft was informed that a DC-3 had suffered a mishap upon landing at Musiara Airstrip. The pilot apparently decided to perform a low pass over the airstrip to show the scene to the passengers.
As the aircraft approached the airfield at an altitude of 250 feet, it collided with a white-backed vulture. The bird struck the windshield and killed the pilot instantly. Control of the aircraft was lost, and it crashed in an open field, bursting into flames. All nine occupants on board were killed.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was a loss of control following an in-flight collision with a white-backed vulture weighing 5.4 kilograms that struck the windshield and killed the pilot.