2 cheat death in plane crash

This light aircraft crashed yesterday in Gongo la Mboto, Dar es Salaam, injuring two people who were on board.  The accident was blamed on engine failure

In Summary

The pilot, Azizi Abdallah, and the trainee pilot, Ahmad Mohamedi, were on training mission when their plane came down in Dar es Salaam’s Gongo la Mboto area

Dar es Salaam. A pilot and a trainee pilot yesterday cheated death after their plane crash-landed in Gongo la Mboto suburb on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam.

The pilot, Mr Azizi Abdallah, and the trainee pilot, Mr Ahmad Mohamedi, who were in a light plane C206 property of As Salaam Air, were on a training mission when their plane crash-landed.

According to the firm’s flight dispatcher, Mr Bern Mtono, the accident occurred at around 11:45am. He said the two had flown from the Julius Nyerere International Airport at around 11:40am on a training session.

However, Mr Mtono said the plane crashed just as it was approaching the training base caused by what he termed as engine failure.

“As of now we can’t tell what caused the engine failure; we will release more details after technical investigations have been completed,” said Mr Mtono.

He said, no one was killed by the accident as both the pilot and the pilot trainee escaped with minor injuries and were treated at the Gongo la Mboto military hospital.

“The two are in a good condition and were discharged,” said Mr Mtono.

According to him the crashed plane was used for training sessions for pilot trainees so as to allow them to gain mileage, a crucial step towards acquiring a flying licence.

Meanwhile, flow of traffic on Kilwa Road in the city came to a standstill for more than two hours yesterday after angry residents blocked the key road with stones and burnt tires protesting the death of a girl who was hit by a speeding vehicle.

The Standard Two pupil, Adina Suleiman, aged about 11 to 12, was knocked down in late morning as she was crossing the road at Mbagala Kizuiani. Residents claimed that at least 30 people have been killed by speeding vehicles in the area, since 2008, hence their decision to protest.

Anti-riot police were deployed and succeeded to disperse the protesters. No arrests were made but Temeke Police regional commander Engelbert Kiondo assured residents that road bumps would be erected to reduce speeding at the area.

“Road constructors were supposed to have taken into consideration the fact that this point is busy,” he said.