This archive report was first published on 3 December 2019.
On December 3, 2019, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) conducted an emergency drill at Wilson Airport to gauge the level of preparedness of government agencies in responding to aviation incidents.
Reports on social media had indicated that a small aircraft had gone missing at around 9:30 am, prompting KCAA to issue a statement.
According to the circulating report, a plane was supposed to land at Wilson Airport around 9:30 am but had gone missing and could not be located on the radar. The plane was from Rusinga Island and had six people on board.
KCAA Director General Capt Gilbert Kibe stated that the exercise was conducted to assess the preparedness of government agencies in responding to aviation incidents.
‘This exercise will help us gauge the preparedness of Government Agencies that are part of the National Aeronautical Search and Rescue System in responding to an aviation incident or accident,’ he said.
The exercise, dubbed ‘Okoa Maisha Asarex 2019,’ involved state agencies such as KCAA, National Police Service, KDF, Kenya Met, KWS, Ministry of Health, Kenya Airports Authority, and Kenya Airways.
Search and Rescue (SAR) operations involve locating missing or lost aircraft and providing assistance to people in distress or immediate danger after an air crash.
Recently, the United Kingdom issued a travel warning to its citizens over the use of planes that operate at Wilson Airport in Nairobi following several mishaps.
