Panic erupted at the Maasai Mara Airstrip on Monday, June 1, after a Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft crash-landed while attempting to land at the facility.
Videos recorded at the scene showed the white aircraft, identified as registration 5Y-SOP, resting with its nose buried in the ground and its tail elevated after the hard landing.
Several people, including uniformed personnel, were seen rushing toward the aircraft moments after the incident.
Cessna Caravan Crash-Lands at Maasai Mara, Investigation Underway. Photo: Courtesy.
The circumstances surrounding the crash-landing remained unclear, with authorities yet to confirm the number of passengers and crew on board or whether anyone sustained injuries.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) is expected to investigate the incident and provide details on what may have led to the aircraft’s rough landing.
The accident adds to a series of recent aviation incidents involving small aircraft in the region.
In April, two Kenyan nationals were among 14 people killed when a Cessna 208 Caravan operated by CityLink Aviation crashed approximately 20 kilometres southwest of Juba in South Sudan.
The aircraft had departed Yei for Juba International Airport before losing communication with air traffic controllers.
South Sudanese authorities later indicated that poor weather and low visibility may have contributed to the crash.
Earlier, an EBB Air Embraer aircraft operating on the Nairobi-Mandera route overshot the runway at Mandera Airstrip and came to rest in nearby vegetation.
All 36 passengers and crew on board were safely evacuated following the incident. Images from the scene showed the aircraft’s front section lodged in bushes, with light smoke visible near one of its wings.
Authorities are expected to release further information on the Maasai Mara incident as investigations continue.
