Another sad day today in African aviation as a Kenyan registered LET 410 (unconfirmed 5Y-UVP) belonging to Mombasa Air Safari (RRV) crashed on take off from Ngerende Airstrip in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya bound for Mombasa, killing the two pilots and two German tourists on-board with another three were critically injured. The other four passengers received injuries of varying degrees, though are in a stable condition.
The Kenyan press states that there were five Germans, four Americans and two nationals from the Czech Republic on-board at the time of the accident, which occurred at 12.17pm Kenya Time.
According to the Aviation Herald:
Source [The Aviation Herald]
MAS Let 410 (5Y-UVP) at Ngerende (A Kacin) "The airstrip manager, Daniel Jivai, reported the Let L-410 5Y-UV7 (sic) failed to climb out due to "wrong wind direction", a small fire was quickly put out by hotel personnel and tourists and the occupants were recovered from the wreckage. The injured are being treated by the Flying Doctors arriving from Nairobi. The aircraft had arrived from Mombasa via Amboseli National Park and had dropped off 12 passengers.
The Flying Doctor Service reported 4 people had perished when the Flying Doctors reached the airstrip, 3 passengers were flown to Nairobi in critical condition, the remaining 4 passengers are being taken to Nairobi on a second ambulance aircraft. 5 Germans, 4 Americans and 2 Czech were on board of the aircraft. 2 Germans and the 2 crew died in the accident."
During this time of year, tourists flock to the Serengeti Plains to see the wildebeest migration with many opting to use air travel due to the poor state of roads in the area.
Note: The airplane's registration was reported being
"5Y-UV7" by Kenyan newspaper "The Nation", but this is likely incorrect as Mombasa Air
Safari is known to operate several L-410 aircraft of which one is
registered as "5Y-UVP".
