This archive report was first published on 22 December 2019.
On July 2, 2014, a Fokker F50 international cargo flight operated by Skyward International crashed shortly after takeoff from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, killing all four crew members.
The Air Craft Accident Investigation Department (AAID) has concluded that the probable cause of the fatal accident was the crew’s decision to fly a faulty aircraft.
The investigation revealed that the crew received 27 cautions before the crash, but they continued with the flight despite the warnings.
According to the report, the crew failed to abort or reject the takeoff after receiving the cautions, and the plane eventually crashed into a building about 2.1km north-northeast of the runway departure end.
The flight data recorder showed that the revolutions per minute (rpm) of the No. 1 propeller reduced from 100 per cent to 50 per cent, and the No.1 engine torque increased to about 110 per cent.
The report further states that the audio and visual warnings ought to have been enough for the crew to abandon the flight.
Investigations also indicate an anomaly with the cargo of the plane, with most of the cargo being khat, a mild stimulant, and the possibility that some of it was burgled at the site may not be ruled out.
