Black Box In Mwihoko Plane Crash Found After Police Picked It Up 'By Mistake'
The black box is now set to be sent overseas for analysis, which is expected to provide crucial insights into why AMREF's air ambulance went down just three minutes after taking off from Wilson Airport.
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
The black box of the Cessna Citation XLS belonging to African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) Flying Doctors which crashed in Mwihoko, Githurai on Thursday, August 7 has been recovered, hours after it was declared missing.
Fred Kabunge, the lead aircraft accident investigator at the State Department of Transport, confirmed this on Friday, August 8, just hours after authorities issued a public appeal. The search for the black box had kicked off on Thursday night. Githurai 45 Sub-County Police Commander Maurice Odanga had earlier revealed that he had urged residents to return everything that was looted from the scene of the crash, expressing concern that one of them might have unknowingly picked up the black box.
Later that day, Kabunge confirmed to reporters that the device had been found with the assistance of security personnel and aviation experts who had been thoroughly searching the area. It was first taken by police officers at the crash scene, who were allegedly unaware of how important the device was.
The black box is now set to be sent overseas for analysis, which is expected to provide crucial insights into why AMREF's air ambulance went down just three minutes after taking off from Wilson Airport.
''It will be shipped to our counterparts in the US, Canada or France for further examination and analysis. The recorders are very critical for us as we conduct investigations,’’ said Kabunge
He also mentioned that a preliminary report on the crash is expected within 12 days, while the full investigation is projected to take around a year to complete.
''An accident like this will take some time to conclude in terms of investigations...but we are required by law to release a preliminary report which then takes in to account the initial factual information. Our main focus now is to gather as much evidence as we can,’’ he added.
The recovered data is anticipated to provide crucial details about the aircraft's final moments, such as flight conditions, engine behavior, and communications within the cockpit.
A black box, formally known as a Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), is a crucial piece of safety equipment installed in most aircraft. The FDR records technical flight data such as altitude, airspeed, heading, vertical acceleration, engine performance, and control inputs over time.
The CVR, on the other hand, captures audio from the cockpit — including conversations between pilots, radio communications, and ambient sounds like alarms or engine noise. Together, they provide investigators with the necessary evidence to piece together what happened in the lead-up to an accident.
These recordings are essential during aircraft accident investigations because they help determine the root causes, improve aviation safety, and prevent similar crashes in the future.
The Cessna Citation XLS aircraft operated by AMREF Flying Doctors crashed on Thursday in the Mwihoko area of Nairobi, resulting in fatalities. The aircraft, registered as 5Y-FDM, had departed from Wilson Airport in Nairobi at 2:17 PM local time en route to Hargeisa, Somalia, when the accident occurred.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) reported that the aircraft crashed just three minutes after takeoff. It was carrying four crew and medical personnel on board at the time of the incident, all of whom did not survive, according to AMREF.
The Cessna had lost both radio and radar contact after departing for Hargeisa on an ambulance flight. The aircraft then reportedly entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in the residential area, some 22 km northeast of Wilson Airport. It disintegrated on impact.
Rescue efforts ongoing in Mwihoko, Kiambu County, after an aircraft crash-landed. /VIRAL TEA KE
Photo of a Cessna Citation used by AMREF Flying Doctors. /PLANESPOTTERS.NET
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