Mombasa Air Safari Let L-410UVP plane crash
Ngerende, Kenya
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The Let L-410UVP passenger plane, operated by Mombasa Air Safari, took off from Ngerende Airstrip, Kenya, for a domestic flight. 11 passengers and 2 crewmembers were onboard. The plane crashed a few seconds after takeoff. 4 occupants were killed, and 9 were injured.
The plane was carrying tourists in Kenya's Masai Mara national park.
In April 2015, Kenya’s Ministry of Transport released a document described as a “preliminary report,” although its content closely resembled that of a final investigation report. It concluded that the left engine was most likely not producing power at the time of impact and that its propeller was probably in the feathered position. Both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were found to be unserviceable during the accident flight. Investigators also detected contamination within the fuel control unit of the left engine, but laboratory analysis was unable to identify the contaminant’s nature or origin. The report further highlighted systemic issues, including inadequate regulatory oversight of the operator and a high turnover of operational staff.
The aircraft had landed at Ngerende to disembark several passengers and later departed from runway 28 due to prevailing winds. Ground personnel observed a normal takeoff roll and rotation. However, shortly after liftoff the aircraft suddenly veered sharply to the left, descended out of sight behind surrounding terrain, and a loud bang was heard moments later. The wreckage was found approximately 300 meters beyond the end of the runway, concentrated within a small area. The cockpit and forward cabin were severely damaged, resulting in fatal injuries to both pilots and two passengers seated toward the front. The rear section of the cabin remained largely intact, allowing several passengers seated there to survive with minor or serious injuries. The absence of functioning recorders limited further analysis, but evidence remained consistent with a loss of power on the left engine combined with propeller feathering.