Ruiru plane crash: Black boxes sent to US as probe widens

Kenya has sent the flight recorders from the Mwihoko air crash to the United States for detailed analysis as part of an ongoing investigation.

The AMREF Flying Doctors plane crashed minutes after takeoff on August 7, 2025, killing six people and injuring two others.

Authorities are working with international agencies to determine the cause of the accident.

Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir revealed that the Cessna Citation 560XLS, registered as 5Y-FDM, departed Wilson Airport at 2:14 pm on a medical evacuation flight destined for Egal International Airport in Somaliland.

The flight was conducted under Instrument Flight Rules, carrying two pilots, a doctor, and a nurse.

Shortly after departure, at approximately 2:17 pm, the plane crashed into a residential building near A.I.P.C.A. Ngatho Church in Ruiru Sub-County.

The crash triggered a fire that destroyed the aircraft and part of the building. “All the four occupants on board the aircraft and two persons on the ground suffered fatal injuries while two others on the ground suffered serious injuries,” Chirchir stated.

The identities of those who lost their lives in the crash were confirmed by AMREF Flying Doctors as Captain Muthuka Munuve, Captain Brian Kimani Miaro, Dr. Charles Mugo Njoroge, and Nurse Jane Rispah Aluoch Omusula.

Emergency response teams from various government agencies arrived promptly to manage the scene.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Department (AAID) sent investigators to the site to carry out thorough examinations and gather eyewitness accounts.

In line with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 13, Kenya, being the country where the plane was registered, operated, and where the accident happened, notified the countries responsible for the design and manufacture of the aircraft and its engines.

Consequently, the AAID informed the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which oversees the investigation as the State of Design and Manufacture.

The NTSB appointed an Accredited Representative to work closely with Kenyan authorities.

Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB), accountable for the engine’s manufacture, was also notified and assigned its own Accredited Representative. ICAO was kept in the loop throughout the process.

Pratt and Whitney Canada, the engine maker, has designated a technical advisor to support the investigation.

AMREF Flying Doctors and the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) have also deployed observers to monitor the proceedings following ICAO guidelines.

The flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) were successfully retrieved from the crash site and have been sent to the NTSB laboratory in the United States for detailed analysis.

“The joint FDR and CVR readout and analysis exercise will be conducted in the last week of September and the first week of October 2025 with the participation of AAID investigators, Accredited Representatives, and observers,” Chirchir said.

The investigation into what caused the crash is ongoing. The Transport Secretary assured that a preliminary report would be shared to keep the public and aviation stakeholders informed on the progress.