Engine failure caused helicopter crash that killed CDF Ogolla- Military report
Only two of the twelve people on board the chopper survived.
A Defence Ministry report has confirmed that engine failure caused the military helicopter crash that killed Chief of Defence Forces Gen Francis Ogolla and nine others in April.
The Bell UH-1H-II (Huey) Helicopter KAF 1501 went down on April 18, 2024, in Kaben, Marakwet East, while carrying 12 people, most of them senior military officers.
According to the report released on Friday, the helicopter lost power in the air, and although the pilots tried to land safely, they lost control, and the aircraft crashed.
Further, the flight was operated by a qualified, competent crew.
However, dependent on information from the survivors, after experiencing complete power loss, the Pilots of KAF 1501 attempted to control the Helicopter to a clear Landing Zone but lost positive control of the aircraft," the report read.
Investigators found that the engine suffered a Compressor Stall, a sudden problem that caused the engine to shut down.
"This is consistent with witness report of a loud bang at the Engine compartment and the Measured Gas Temperature (MGT) gauge, which when powered, displayed an Over-Exceedance of 914 °C," the report stated.
The sudden loss of power was followed by a left yaw, a sharp drop in engine speed, a loud alarm, and changes in engine sound. This matched what witnesses and experts found at the crash site.
The Board of Inquiry concluded that the crash was caused by engine malfunction.
"Based on facts and evidence gathered, and indicated in the findings above, the Board of Inquiry is of the opinion that the Bell UH-1H-II (Huey) Helicopter KAF 1501 crashed due to Engine Malfunction," the report said.
Gen. Ogolla was leading a team visiting troops in the North Rift as part of Operation Maliza Uhalifu.
The chopper crashed shortly after taking off from Cheptulel Boys High School.
Witnesses said the helicopter burst into flames after it hit the ground.
Only two people survived the crash.
Ten bodies were recovered and later flown to Nairobi.