Drunk pilot caused Lake Nakuru chopper crash- Report

John Mapozi (left) and Sammy Gitau (right) victims of the October 21, 2017 Lake Nakuru helicopter crash. [Mercy Kahenda/Standard]

The pilot of a helicopter that crashed into Lake Nakuru on October 21, 2017, killing all five people on board, was drunk, a report has shown.

Findings by the aircraft accident investigation team at the State Department for Transport show that Apollo Malowa had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.041 per cent.

“The investigation findings revealed that the accident was attributed to collision with the water due to loss of situational awareness by the pilot, who was under the influence of alcohol,” reads part of the report released yesterday by Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia.

Malowa, the report states, failed to recognise when the helicopter lost altitude, banked excessively to the left, and its proximity to the lake.

The type AS350 helicopter, registration 5Y-NMJ operated by Flex Air Ltd, was flying Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika’s communication team to cover a Jubilee party campaign rally in Narok County.

Yesterday, Ms Kihika failed to pick our calls or respond to text messages seeking her comment on the report.

The bodies of Malowa, Veronicah Muthoni and Anthony Kipyegon were retrieved, while those of Sam Gitau and John Ndirangu have never been recovered.

Relatives of the victims welcomed the report and said the operators of the helicopter should take responsibility and compensate them for the deaths of their kin.

“I am told the report reveals that the pilot was drunk, but we need the helicopter owner to  pay us,” said Margaret Wairimu, Gitau’s mother.

Monicah Chepkurui, Kipyegon’s mother, said they should be compensated.

Insured helicopter

“Even if the pilot was drunk, I believe the helicopter was insured. It is upon the owner to compensate the families,” she said.

According to the report, the helicopter took off at approximately 6:37am and crashed into Lake Nakuru seven minutes and 38 seconds later during a sight-seeing tour of Lake Nakuru National Park.

Lost altitude

“The pilot in command lost control of the helicopter after it pitched up, rolled to the left and lost altitude, thereby colliding with the lake,” the report says.

It reveals that the aircraft sank about eight metres to the bottom of the lake.

“Only some fragments of the helicopter and fuel spillage were noticeable floating over the water moments later. An eyewitness who observed the crashing helicopter alerted the public and a search and rescue mission was activated.”

The investigation established that the helicopter had a valid certificate of airworthiness and the pilot was qualified and certified to fly the aircraft.

Further findings revealed that the pilot and his passengers had been spotted in a night club prior to returning to their hotel and boarding the chopper.

Investigators established that Malowa, 34, had accumulated 24.8 hours of flying time in the three months preceding the accident.

In tracing the chopper’s movement prior to the accident, investigators found that Malowa had refuelled at Wilson Airport on October 20 before taking off for Nakuru at 2.20pm with an unknown passenger.

According to an employee of Jarika Hotel, Malowa landed at 3pm and checked into his room. He left in an unidentified vehicle about one hour later.

“Another witness informed the investigation that the pilot had been spotted in the company of unknown persons at a famous club in downtown, Nakuru,” says the report.

It adds: “The security guard at the hotel informed the investigation that the pilot arrived at the hotel in the morning at around 0600 hours on 21, October, in the company of three men and one female.”

Malowa and his four passengers then proceeded to the aircraft that was parked outside the hotel and boarded.

“Shortly thereafter, he started the engine and at about 0637 hours, the pilot was airborne and made a few circuits before heading towards Lake Nakuru.”

The purpose of the flight was not immediately established because Malowa never talked to anybody when he arrived at the hotel.

(Report by Steve Mkawale, Mercy Kahenda and Daniel Wesangula)