Narrative:
The Kenya Police Air Wing Douglas C-47 was prepared for a supply run from Nairobi-Wilson Airport to police posts at Wajir and Mandera. The aircraft was loaded by unqualified personnel with a cargo consisting of beer, spirits, mineral waters and cigarettes.
At 05:30 UTC the flight was cleared for takeoff from runway 14. The aircraft was seen to climb in a left hand turn at a steep nose up attitude until it entered a patch of clouds at 600 feet. Next it was observed breaking through the clouds in descending spiral.
The angle of dive increased as the aircraft descended. It struck the ground in a near-vertical attitude, with both engines under power. The fuel tanks exploded blowing the centre section and outer wings clear of the cabin wreckage.
Probable cause: "Following a take-off in an overloaded condition, and whilst flying in an attitude approaching the stall a load shift was experienced which caused the pilot to lose control of the aircraft at a height from which recovery was impossible."
Cargo shift
Loss of control
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Friday 20 December 1968 |
| Time: | 05:32 UTC |
| Type: |  Douglas C-47A-25-DK (DC-3) |
| Operator: | Kenya Police Air Wing |
| Registration: | 5Y-ADI |
| MSN: | 13447 |
| First flight: | 1944 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 14794 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 2,2 km (1.4 mls) ENE of Nairobi-Wilson Airport (WIL) ( Kenya)
|
| Crash site elevation: | 1687 m (5535 feet) amsl |
| Phase: | Initial climb (ICL) |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Nairobi-Wilson Airport (WIL/HKNW), Kenya |
| Wajir Airport (WJR/HKWJ), Kenya |
The Kenya Police Air Wing Douglas C-47 was prepared for a supply run from Nairobi-Wilson Airport to police posts at Wajir and Mandera. The aircraft was loaded by unqualified personnel with a cargo consisting of beer, spirits, mineral waters and cigarettes.
At 05:30 UTC the flight was cleared for takeoff from runway 14. The aircraft was seen to climb in a left hand turn at a steep nose up attitude until it entered a patch of clouds at 600 feet. Next it was observed breaking through the clouds in descending spiral.
The angle of dive increased as the aircraft descended. It struck the ground in a near-vertical attitude, with both engines under power. The fuel tanks exploded blowing the centre section and outer wings clear of the cabin wreckage.
Probable Cause:
Probable cause: "Following a take-off in an overloaded condition, and whilst flying in an attitude approaching the stall a load shift was experienced which caused the pilot to lose control of the aircraft at a height from which recovery was impossible."
Classification:
Overloaded Cargo shift
Loss of control
Sources:
» ICAO Circular 96-AN/79Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Nairobi-Wilson Airport to Wajir Airport as the crow flies is 496 km (310 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Nairobi-Wilson Airport to Wajir Airport as the crow flies is 496 km (310 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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