Let L-410 crash, Apr 17, 2002, Ngerende
Let L-410 accident on April 17, 2002 near Ngerende, Rift Valley, Kenya with no fatalities. Cause: Premature rotation during takeoff to avoid an animal...
- Date: April 17, 2002
- Aircraft: Let L-410
- Location: Ngerende, Rift Valley, Kenya
- Fatalities: 0
- Phase of flight: Takeoff and climb
- Cause: Premature rotation during takeoff to avoid an animal on the strip, leaving insufficient airspeed; the pilot's attempt to recover speed by lowering the nose led to ground contact.
A United Airlines Kenya Let L-410 was taking off from a 3,900 ft dirt strip at Ngerende on a charter to Nairobi. An impala crossed the runway, and the crew raised the nose to avoid it before airspeed had built up. The pilot lowered the nose to regain speed, the aircraft struck the ground and came down in a field. All 17 occupants survived, one passenger slightly injured, and the aircraft was written off.