No survivors in FlySax aircraft crash

Search and Rescue personnel scale Aberdares forest. All the passengers of the flight have been confirmed dead. [Courtesy, Red Cross]

The eight passengers and two crew members aboard the ill-fated Cessna C208 aircraft, registration number 5Y-CAC have been confirmed dead.

 FlySax chairman Charles Wako made the announcement on Thursday, hours after the wreckage of the plane was spotted in the Aberdares forest, Nyandarua County.

“A mountain rescue team of the Kenya Wildlife Service has reached the wreckage of the aircraft. Unfortunately, from the reports we are getting there are no survivors. The families of the passengers and the crew have been notified and as a ministry, we truly regret this very sad outcome and send out our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families,” said Transport PS Paul Maringa.

The aircraft went missing on Tuesday after leaving Kitale at around 4pm and lost contact with the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) control tower at around 5.20pm.

Earlier Transport Principal Secretary Paul Maringa said the wreck of the aircraft found at 6.45am by the aerial search team at Elephant Point, some 11,000 feet above sea level was ‘reasonably’ damaged.

Reports indicate that the plane was serviced regularly and had flown to Homa Bay and Maasai Mara early in the day prior to the ill-fated journey to Nairobi.

Captain Barbra Wangeci Kamau and First Officer Jean Mureithi lost contact with JKIA and it is believed that the plane flew into a bad storm

The eight passengers were Mr Ahmed Ali Abdi, Mr Karaba Sailah Waweru Muiga, Mr Khetia Kishani, Mr Matakasakarai Thamani, Mr Matakatekei Paula, Mr George Ngugi Kinyua, Mr Pinuertorn Ronald, and Mr Robinson Wafula.

More to follow.