Two Survive Light Aircraft Crash in Nairobi National Park

Two people survived after a Cessna 152 aircraft, registration 5Y-PSJ, crash-landed inside Nairobi National Park early Thursday morning. The plane, operated by West Rift Aviation School, went down at around 7 a.m. on September 19, 2024.

“The Cessna 152 encountered an incident while flying over the National Park. Both crew members are safe and unharmed,” the operator confirmed in a statement. The pilot, an aviation student, sustained minor injuries, but no serious harm was reported.

The operator urged the public to remain patient as investigations into the incident continue, with more details to be provided as they emerge.

This crash adds to a series of recent aviation accidents in Kenya. In March, a mid-air collision at Nairobi National Park between a Dash 8 Safari Link plane and a Cessna 172 left two dead. The Dash 8, en route to Diani with 44 passengers, managed to land safely at Wilson Airport.

In similar incidents, a trainee pilot and instructor survived a crash landing inside Nairobi National Park in September 2022, while three people escaped unharmed after a light aircraft crash in Nakuru a month earlier.

Authorities continue to investigate these incidents as part of efforts to enhance aviation safety.