Two Planes Veer off Runway and Crash at Same Airport in Tanzania
In a dramatic turn of events, two planes veered off the same runway in Tanzania, East Africa, just hours apart. The incident occurred on Tuesday, as reported by The Independent. The first aircraft, a United Air Zanzibar plane, had 30 passengers and three crew members on board when it took off from Zanzibar. However, as it attempted to land on Kikoboga Airstrip, its main landing gear collapsed, causing the plane to veer off the runway and come to a stop on its nose gear, belly of the fuselage, and both wings. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, but the plane suffered significant damage.
Surprisingly, about six hours later, the Kikoboga Airstrip witnessed another dramatic incident. The Independent reported that another plane, carrying the same number of passengers, took off from Kikoboga to head to Zanzibar when its nose gear also collapsed. The right wing of the aircraft smashed into a building before it came to a halt. Once again, no injuries were reported, but the plane sustained substantial damage.
A video of the aftermath of the crashes and the damage to the planes went viral on social media. An X user shared the clip, stating, “Two EMB-120 Brasilia aircraft (5H-FLM and 5H-MJH) were damaged in separate accidents at Kikoboga Airstrip near Mikumi National Park, Tanzania. 5H-MJH had a gear collapse on landing. 5H-FLM hit a building with a wing and suffered a nose gear collapse.”
Despite these incidents, the runway at Kikoboga Airstrip remained open, with operations running as usual. However, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Branch, under the Ministry of Transport, will conduct further investigations into what exactly happened.
In a statement, Catherine Mbena, Tanzania National Parks senior conservation officer for corporate communications, expressed gratitude that the pilots and officials at the airstrip worked together to ensure the safety of all passengers on board.
The details of these incidents serve as a reminder of the potential risks involved in air travel and the importance of continuous safety measures.
