3 Scenarios Aircraft Flying Out Of Nairobi Have Been Forced To Turn Back
An aircraft turnback, while normal, refers to a situation in which an aircraft, after taking off, decides to return to its departure airport before reaching its intended destination.
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Imagine this, you are on your usual flight to whatever destination you choose, excitement building up on the sights and sounds you may witness, depending on your schedule, and then in the middle, the flight makes a U-turn, midway and high up in the air at more than 30,000 feet.
Not only is your zen and peace ruined, you begin to ask yourself and others questions, all while you begin to fear for your life. Did a tyre burst during takeoff? Did a bird strike one of the plane's engines? Was the plane loaded with less fuel than required for the trip? Did you leave behind a Cabinet Secretary who was meant to travel with you?
An aircraft turnback, while normal, refers to a situation in which an aircraft, after taking off, decides to return to its departure airport before reaching its intended destination.
This can happen for various reasons, and the decision to turn back is typically made by the flight crew in response to an emergency or a technical issue.
An IndiGo aircraft arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on August 5, 2023. /KIPCHUMBA MURKOMEN
Common reasons for an aircraft turnback include:
- Technical Issues: If the aircraft experiences a technical malfunction or system failure that jeopardizes the safety of the flight, the crew may decide to return to the departure airport for maintenance or repairs.
- Medical Emergencies: If a passenger or crew member experiences a medical emergency shortly after takeoff, the flight crew may choose to return to the departure airport for medical assistance.
- Fuel or Payload Issues: In some cases, an aircraft may need to turn back if it encounters unexpected fuel consumption issues, payload concerns, or if there are problems with the cargo on board.
- Weather Conditions: Severe weather conditions, such as thunderstorms or other hazardous weather phenomena, may force an aircraft to turn back to avoid potential risks.
- Security Concerns: If there are security threats or concerns, the flight crew may decide to return to the departure airport or divert to an alternative airport.
- Decision Based on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Some incidents may trigger a turnback based on established standard operating procedures designed to handle specific situations.
In any case, a turnback is a serious decision that is made with the primary goal of ensuring the safety and well-being of the passengers and crew. The decision-making process involves careful consideration of the available information, communication with air traffic control, and adherence to established protocols and procedures.
This year, Kenyans have been treated to reports of aircraft taking off especially from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi only to turn back and land at the starting point, with reasons that have bewildered many.
Viral Tea takes a look at scenarios of aircraft turnbacks, including two that took place recently:
Kenya Airways Plane Turns Back After Failing To Land in Rwanda
National carrier Kenya Airways on Sunday, December 17 confirmed that one of its planes en route to Kigali from JKIA was forced to turn back due to low visibility.
The flight bound for the Rwanda capital encountered deteriorating weather as it was approaching Kigali International Airport. The plane tried to land on two occasions, only to fail in all of them, forcing a return to JKIA.
"Kenya Airways PLC (KQ) confirms that on 17 December 2023 at approximately 07:45 hrs (East African Time), KQ 478, on a scheduled operation from Nairobi to Kigali, encountered low visibility and deteriorating weather on the normal approach to land at Kigali International Airport, after two unsuccessful attempts to land the crew elected to return to Nairobi for the safety of passengers and crew onboard.
"The aircraft landed safely in Nairobi at 09:50 hrs (East African Time)," the statement read in part, adding that air turnbacks are standard safety procedures.
The passengers were transferred on to the next available flight. Usually, a flight from Nairobi to Kigali is 1 hour 35 minutes long.
Earlier, RwandAir, the official national carrier for Rwanda, had issued an alert to all flights destined for its airports highlighting a dense fog.
Kenya Airways Flight To Dubai Turns Back After Tyre Falls Off Onto Runway
Two days prior, KQ confirmed on Friday evening, December 15 that one of its flights bound for Dubai was forced to turn back midair and make an emergency landing at JKIA.
In a statement, the airline, operating under its code 'KQ', revealed that the aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 registered as 5Y-CYD, was prompted to turn back one hour into its flight after JKIA staff discovered tyre debris on the runway.
"Kenya Airways PLC (KQ) confirms that on 15 December 2023 at approximately 21:20 HRS, JKIA Air Traffic Control encountered tyre debris during a regular runway inspection," stated KQ in part.
A Kenya Airways plane in flight. /KENYA AIRWAYS
"Upon further inspection, it was established by the KQ operations team that the tyre debris was from KQ 310, which had departed on a scheduled operation from Nairobi to Dubai."
KQ further noted that its operations team contacted the crew and agreed on a precautionary air turnback to Nairobi for further technical attention.
The crew followed the precautionary safety procedures in consultation with operations control and returned to Nairobi safely, landing at 23:46 HRS (11.46 pm) without incident.
KQ did not indicate whether there was jettisoning (fuel dumping) but the aircraft likely had to dump to attain the maximum required weight for safe landing.
While air turnbacks are common procedures in aviation, tyre debris left on the runway can pose a great danger to aircraft taking off, hence the runway must be cleaned regularly.
British Airways Flight From Nairobi to London Turns Back Midair
As Viral Tea reported, Neil Walsh, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Head of Mission and Regional Representative to East Africa, lamented on Monday, August 7 the circumstances that forced a flight he boarded from Nairobi, Kenya to London in the United Kingdom (UK) turn back mid-air.
In a statement he shared on Twitter, Walsh revealed that he was cleared to fly to Belfast in Northern Ireland, though to get there, he would have to go through London's Heathrow Airport following a direct flight from Nairobi.
However, as the British Airways flight to London approached the airspace of Niger, it was forced to turn back and land at Nairobi's JKIA on Monday morning, having departed during the late hours of Sunday, August 6.
"So…I was cleared to fly to Belfast. But as the flight approached Niger the airspace was shut.
"7 hours into the journey and I’ve just landed back in Nairobi where we have to stay on the plane for at least an hour before deplaning. And there’s no British Airways plan," he stated.
Walsh's sentiments were corroborated by CNN International correspondent, Larry Madowo, who attributed the move by airlines to divert their point of destination to that one of Niger to close its airspace.
Spot checks by Viral Tea on flight BA 64, via Flight Aware, an international aviation surveillance system, revealed that the flight was forced to turn back just before leaving the Uganda border.
Niger’s coup leaders had in August closed the country’s airspace after rejecting an ultimatum from West African states to reinstate deposed President Mohamed Bazoum or risk military intervention, with Flightradar 24, another flight tracking website, showing no aircraft over the airspace.
Niger reopened its airspace on September 4, 2023, for commercial flights after having been closed for nearly a month. All flights were allowed except French aircraft or aircraft chartered by France including those of the French carrier Air France.
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