A split second decision by the pilot of a police helicopter to crash-land on buildings saved a high-powered team of top government officials, including Police Commissioner Hussein Ali and assistant minister Orwa Ojodeh.
The decision also averted a serious accident that may have killed people in a huge crowd that had just attended a public rally addressed by two Cabinet ministers in Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Kapsabet town.
When he realised that the helicopter was losing power at a critical stage during lift off, Captain Patrick Mugane considered two quick options: To return to the stadium where a huge crowd had gathered and risk the possibility of crash-landing on people, or crash on buildings.
He chose to land on the buildings in a prison farm and saved all 28 people on board and the huge crowd on the ground, which included Cabinet ministers George Saitoti and Chris Obure, among other dignitaries.
Had the pilot decided to return to the stadium the plane would have taken a few more seconds to reach the destination.
“The plane would not gain height after it lost power due to high density,” explained the co-pilot captain James Mburu from his hospital bed at Kapsabet District Hospital.
He added: “We were only 10 seconds airborne when the plane developed a mechanical problem. This forced the pilot to crash-land, hitting Kenya Power and Lighting Company electric cables,” Captain Mburu added.
The pilot, Captain Mugane, who was praised as a hero by his passengers for saving their lives, said they escaped death by the grace of God.
And Rift Valley PC Noor Hasssan Noor, who was one of the passengers, said: “We were lucky that the plane did not explode on impact. This gave some of us chance to escape while the rest were helped out by members of the public.”
The top security officials were among 28 passengers aboard the police helicopter that had taken the team for the official commissioning of police residential houses by Prof Saitoti and Mr Obure.
Government officials
The two ministers and other government officials from their ministries were waiting to take off in a military chopper when the accident occurred at about 12.45pm.
Some six journalists travelling with the Police Commissioner escaped with injuries.
The plane landed on two houses near a slaughterhouse, some 100 metres from Kipchoge stadium where Prof Saitoti and Mr Obure had addressed a rally.
The tail of the plane was thrown 200 metres away from where the chopper crash-landed on its back.
Among the injured journalists were Yatsin Juma and Orto Sori of NTV, Antony Wanjala (KBC), Mwenda Ngugi (KTN), Karuri Nyaga (Citizen) and Kevin Kioko (Office of the President).
Mr Juma survived a bombing in Baidoa, Somalia, in January 2007 while on assignment. He spent months in hospital.
Those that were seriously injured included assistant commissioner of police Mark Opiyo and 14 others who were taken to Eldoret’s Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital after receiving first aid at the Kapsabet District Hospital.
Source: Daily Nation
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