Light Aircraft With 2 Occupants Crash Lands At Kisumu International Airport [PHOTOS]

The Kenya Airports Authority on Thursday, June 8 confirmed that a light aircraft crash landed at Kisumu International Airport.

In a statement, the authority noted that the aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing after its landing gear failed.

The aircraft in addition had two occupants, reportedly a trainee pilot and his instructor, who survived but were rushed to hospital for precautionary medical attention.

Scene after a light aircraft made an emergency landing at Kisumu International Airport on June 8, 2023. /FACEBOOK.EUGENE

"We would like to confirm that a light aircraft has had an emergency landing at Kisumu International Airport after suffering landing gear failure. Both occupants are safe and have been rushed to hospital for precautionary medical assessment," read the statement in part.

Photos seen by Viral Tea showed the aircraft intact, though leaning on its left-hand side after the emergency landing with its tail partially damaged.

Viral Tea contacted a highly-placed source at KAA and confirmed that the accident had occurred and was not a drill, as was the case on Wednesday, May 31 at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.

KAA reported in a statement that emergency rescue operations were underway following the incident involving an aircraft at JKIA which was overflying Nairobi, later determined to be an emergency drill conducted that morning which involved the simulation of a plane crash at the airport.

"Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) would like to announce the successful completion of a full-scale emergency drill conducted at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) this morning.

"The exercise, which involved a simulated incident of an aircraft that crashed at the airport while overflying Nairobi, was organized by KAA as part of its ongoing commitment to enhancing airport emergency response capabilities and ensuring the highest level of preparedness in case of any unforeseen events," stated KAA in a comprehensive statement.

According to the authority, the primary objective of the exercise was to test and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the airport's emergency response procedures, coordination among various agencies, and the overall readiness of the airport's personnel.

"KAA would like to assure the public that this incident was entirely simulated and did not pose any real danger to passengers, crew members, or airport operations. The safety and security of all individuals involved were strictly prioritized throughout the exercise," added the authority.

Though the accident was classified as a drill, it was not the first time JKIA had incidents leading to disruption of aircraft operations.

Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on Monday, April 17 revealed that a cargo plane, a Boeing 747-400 belonging to Singapore Airlines, could not take off from JKIA in Nairobi due to tyre damage.