This archive report was first published on 26 July 2021.
On July 26, 2021, a Skyward Express aircraft, registration 5Y-GRS, crash landed at Elwak Airstrip in Mandera South Sub-county, with 37 passengers and 4 crew members on board.
The aircraft, which was said to have experienced a "runway excursion" upon landing, was fortunate to have avoided any serious injuries or fatalities.
Confirming the incident, Skyward Express assured its customers that all other flights would continue as planned, and that the passengers and crew were safe.
According to a statement released by the airline, preliminary reports indicated that the aircraft suffered a runway excursion due to a highly contaminated runway, but the crew successfully put the aircraft to a halt and all passengers were safely evacuated.
"We confirm that all the people on board the aircraft are safe," the statement read in part.
Col Kioko, a spokesperson for the Kenya Defence Forces, further added that all the passengers who had survived were undergoing treatment at the Defence Forces Memorial Hospital in Nairobi.
However, Col Kioko did not reveal the identities of those who survived or perished from the crash, stating that their families had not been contacted.
Investigations into the cause of the crash have been launched, and the outcome is yet to be determined.
