Cause of aircraft accident that killed 11 in Kwale revealed

Kwale residents and security officers at the scene where 12 tourists were killed in a plane crash at Tsimba area in Kwale County. The tourists were heading to Masai Mara from Diani. The plane is suspected to have crashed due to bad weather. October 28,2025.[Omondi Onyango,Standard] Human body parts were scattered at a radius of 50 metres from the site where a light aircraft crashed and burst into flames in a village in Kwale County. Authorities reported that the aircraft lost control minutes after taking off from Diani Airport and crashed at Mwongongi village in the Tsimba, Matuga Sub-County. The operator of the ill-fated light aircraft, Mombasa Air Safari, confirmed that eight Hungarians, two Germans, and a Kenyan pilot died in the crash, totaling 11 people. Mombasa Air Safari Limited chairman, John Cleave, said the aircraft, registration number 5Y-CCA, was operating a scheduled flight from Diani to Kichwa Tembo, Maasai Mara. "There were 10 passengers, being eight Hungarians and two Germans, and one Kenyan crew member (captain) on board. Sadly, there are no survivors," said Cleave. A county administrator living in the area, Khamis Kenya, said he saw the aircraft overflying his house at low altitude and producing a loud sound before it crashed. He said the aircraft hit a tree after changing direction, trying to navigate back to the Diani Airport, before it came down about a kilometre from his house. "I saw the plane flying at low altitude and passing above my house with a loud sound at around 8.30am - a strange sound - I knew something was wrong with the aircraft. "It hit a tree before diving into the ground and bursting into flames," he said. Khamis said they could not render any help at the scene when they arrived because the fire was raging. "We only picked two passports and an identity card of some tourists, which we handed over to the police," said Khamis. Investigators led by the Kenya Air Force had not established the cause of the accident, even as eyewitnesses blamed heavy winds and rain for the accident. The Kenya Meteorological Department had earlier warned that the low-pressure system Cyclone "Chege" over the southwest Indian Ocean could lead to heavy rainfall across the Coast region. It said the cyclone would have winds blowing at around 55km per hour and gusts reaching up to 75km per hour as it heads to the East African Coast. In a statement, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) Director General Emile Arao said the aircraft registration number 5Y-CCA took off from Diani and was headed to Kichwa Tembo when it crashed. "The aircraft was carrying 12 individuals on board, and government agencies are already on site to establish the cause of the accident and its impact," said Arao. Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir said the aircraft lost radar contact with the Mombasa International Airport control tower at about 8:35am. "Thereafter, a multi-agency team was dispatched, and the wreckage was subsequently located in Tsimba Golini Ward, Matuga Sub County, in Kwale County," said Chirchir in a statement. "In accordance with the provision of Annex 13 to the Convention on the International Civil Aviation Organization, investigators from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department have been deployed to the accident site to commence a comprehensive on-site investigation into the circumstances surrounding this tragic accident," he said. Another eyewitness, Masizisi Rashi, said some body parts were thrown in trees. "We had a huge blast as the plane was coming down. The plane burst into small parts," said Rashi. State Department Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang, in a press briefing, said aircraft accident investigation teams will be in Kwale to establish the cause of the crash.

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