FlySax plane to Nairobi goes missing in the Aberdares
The Sax plane that went missing on June 5, 2018. PHOTO | COURTESY
A FlySax-managed light aircraft has gone missing.
The Cesna C208 craft, registration number 5Y-CAC from Kitale, lost contact with control tower at 5pm Tuesday in the Aberdares, 60 kilometres from its destination, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in the capital Nairobi.
The plane left Kitale shortly after 4 pm with eight passengers and two crew members on board and was expected in Nairobi about an hour later.
“We confirm that we have reports of a missing plane, registered 5Y-CAC from Kitale to Nairobi, JKIA, operated by FlySax,” read part of the statement issued by Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) director-general Gilbert Kibe.
SEARCH
The statement further indicated that search operations, which went into the night, had been suspended and would resume early Wednesday morning.
This is partly attributed to bad weather and darkness, which hamper both aerial visibility and mobility of the search teams.
The missing 12-passenger plane is operated by East Africa Safari Air Express (FlySax), a subsidiary of Fly540.
LOCATE AIRCRAFT
A statement from the airline acknowledged its aircraft was indeed missing but combined efforts of KCAA, Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) and the Air Accident Investigation Division of Kenya (AAID), had been going on to locate it.
“Relatives and next of kin can convene at Weston Hotel for more information,” read part of the statement issued by the airline.
