The pilot of a privately owned, single engine Piper PA 28R 200 Arrow, registration 5Y ALJ, escaped death when he managed to bring down his aircraft in thick bush, which apparently cushioned his impact on the ground, leaving the aircraft almost intact apart from some damage to the landing gear, underbelly and propeller, and saw him walk away without a scratch.
The aircraft was enroute from Malindi to the Ukunda airstrip on Diani Beach when the incident happened and the cause of the accident is now subject to an unfolding enquiry by the air accident department of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority. Sources quoted in the Kenya media attributed the crash landing to an apparent power failure in the engine but only the investigation will be able to unravel the exact cause. This comes close on the heels of a crash of a trainer aircraft in Dar es Salaam last week, where both instructor and student pilot walked away with minor injuries.