It Crashed 50 Meters from a Cliff: Narok Governor Tunai Speaks After Surviving Chopper Crash

Narok Governor Samwel Ole Tunai has spoken out after he survived a helicopter crash on Saturday.

Tunai escaped with bruises after the aircraft ferrying him and three others from a funeral in Narok north sub-County crash-landed in Melili area shortly after taking off.

Speaking at the Aga Khan Hospital where he was taken after the accident, Governor Tunai said they escaped death by a whisker since the plane crashed just 50 meters away from a cliff.

“It was by luck it crashed there and I think the pilot tried to control it at that point. It could have been disastrous had it flown a few meters away from where it crashed,” he said as quoted by The Standard.

Tunai added that they quickly left the accident scene as they feared the plane would catch fire since fuel was leaking. No fatalities were recorded in the crash.

In an interview, the pilot of the ill-fated helicopter, Marc Gross ruled out mechanical problems and blamed bad weather and high altitude for the mishap.

“There was no mechanical problem. Nobody was injured as all of us came out well. Things just happened in a blink of an eye and that is it,” said Gross.

“I have finished writing the full report on the crash and a team of investigators has instructed me not to talk to the media.”

It was reported that the chopper registration number 5Y-MEP struggled to take off prior to the crash.

Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has since opened an investigation into the crash.

“The Air Accident Investigation Department (ARID) of the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, Urban Development, and Public Works have already initiated the investigation and will inform the public once concluded.” Said KCAA Director-General Gilbert Kibe in a statement on Sunday.

The aircraft is operated by Karen Blixen Camp Trust and is mainly used for wildlife conservation activities at the Maasai Mara Game Reserve.