Rampant aircraft crashes blamed on poor probe

A surge in aircraft accidents over the recent months has been blamed on lack of proper investigations to ascertain causes of the mishaps.

This has in turn resulted in a serious shortage of aircraft for emergency operations.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), local and international aviation bodies, and a National Assembly committee have in the past expressed concern over the rampant accidents and lack of proper investigations.

So dire is the situation that late last year, the government was forced to request for an Mi-17 helicopter from the United Nations World Food Programme (UN-WFP) to be used in the aerial distribution of relief supplies in El Nino affected areas.

Currently, there is only one Mi-17 chopper belonging to the National Police Service (NPS) that is engaged in the Boni enclave operations.

In one of the latest accidents in Buna, Wajir on December 17, 2023, a Kenya Defence Forces chopper crashed moments after takeoff from Buna hospital. The same day, another crash involving chopper registration number 5Y-SDL was also reported in Arbajan, Wajir.

Failure to conduct successful investigations has been blamed for a number of factors including shortage of competent investigators, collusion with airline companies, and government interference among others.

The accidents put the office of the Director of Air Accident Investigations Department (AAID) Captain Martyne Lunani on the spotlight as the crashes, on the other hand, have been attributed to lack of knowledge, technical expertise, skills and experience.

Capt Lunani, however, said they have enough investigators but expressed the need for further training.

“The leading causes of air accidents is human related factors. In terms of personnel we have seven investigators who are well equipped and fairly adequate capacity. There’s need to enhance training,” Capt. Lunani said.

The delay in releasing such reports negatively affects the operators and the victims in terms of compensation and getting the safety recommendations.

On November 1 last year, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) wrote to Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) requesting information regarding the aviation system in Kenya, especially reports on aircraft accidents and serious incidents investigation outside Kenya involving Kenyan registered aircraft.

In another case in September 2021, the National Assembly wrote to KCAA, Ministry of Transport and the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) expressing concern over rampant cases of plane crashes in the country.

Technical aspects

The then Departmental Committee on Transport, Public Works and Housing, (now Committee of Transport and Infrastructure), listed a number of accidents and directed the Transport CS, Transport PS, Kenya Airports Authority MD and Kenya Civil Aviation Authority Director General to attend a round-table meeting to receive reports on the causes of the accidents and further find means of mitigating the problem.

“Committee has noted with concern rampant cases of air crashes within the country,” National Assembly clerk wrote.

Investigations into the crashes are mainly geared towards establishing circumstances surrounding the crash, competency of the pilot, and the technical aspects of engineering including when it was serviced and the areas serviced.

Among the crashes indicated included Fokker 27 MK 500 registration number 5Y-CCE that happened in Juba South Sudan on June 24, 2022; Fokker 27 MK050 registration number 5Y-JSN that occurred in Rubkona, South Sudan in July 2022; and Fokker MK 050 registration number 5Y-JXN that happened in Mogadishu Somalia.

In June last year, the Public Service Commission (PSC) advertised the position of Deputy Director and four positions for Senior Aircraft accident investigators in the Air accident investigations department.

Upon a shortlisting exercise for the four positions for Senior Aircraft accident investigators, all applications were termed unsuitable.

Interviews for the deputy Director position were conducted late last year and there was no suitable candidate found.

Experts have warned against headhunting of investigators, insisting that the department needs to urgently follow ICAO recommendations that demand that potential accident investigators must have considerable practical experience in aviation as a pilot or aircraft maintenance engineer.

The recruitment of qualified staff will help in establishing the causes of these accidents and recommend remedial measures and safety recommendations, to avoid recurrence.

Even as the accidents increase, Kenya has been accused of not being an active member of the Accident Investigation Group Panel (AIGP).

On June 14, 2022, ICAO in a letter referenced SO 70/1-ANB-SEE-AIG93436 wrote to Kenya over lack of active participation by the Kenyan member to the AIGP, Capt. Lunani.

Panel member

AIGP Secretary Andre de Kock noted that if a panel member fails to contribute to the work of the panel or fails to attend two consecutive meetings, ICAO may ask the State or international organisation concerned whether it wishes to maintain its nominee on the panel.

If no reply is received within three months, it will be assumed that the State or organisation wishes to withdraw its nominee.

“Our records indicate that Martyne Lunani, nominated by Kenya as a member to the AIGP, has been inactive for the last few meetings. In accordance with the directive above, you are kindly requested to inform ICAO whether Kenya wishes to maintain its nominee on the panel,” Kock wrote.

Kock then told Kenya to replace the nominee and if no reply was received within three months, ICAO would consider that Kenya has withdrawn its nominee from the AIGP.

The Director General of KCAA Emile Arao then wrote to PS for the State Department for Transport Eng Joseph Njoroge to nominate an investigator to the panel, insisting that participation in ICAO panels and work is considered a major state contribution to the global aviation policy formulation process.