This archive report was first published on 19 August 2019.
On Friday, August 16, 2019, a Safarilink commercial aircraft, registration 5Y-SLM, encountered unexpected wildlife while landing at Kichwa Tembo Airstrip in the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
The Dash 8 aircraft was on a scheduled service from Nairobi (Wilson) to Maasai Mara and back.
According to Safarilink's management, the animals ran across the runway as the aircraft landed at about 1pm.
"We are thankful to confirm all passengers and crew are safe and that there are no injuries or fatalities," Safarilink's management stated.
Despite the incident, the airline dispatched another aircraft to take engineers and company staff to the site to assess the situation.
The Maasai Mara National Reserve is a popular tourist destination, attracting hundreds of tour vans and thousands of international tourists each year to witness the wildebeest migration, the seventh wonder of the world.
