Patmoz
By Njeri Irungu
Nairobi, Kenya – Four AMREF Flying Doctors crew members were among six people who died on Thursday after one of the organisation’s aircraft crashed in the Mwihoko area of Nairobi.
The Pilatus PC-12 aircraft, registration 5Y-FDM, went down in a residential area, killing its two pilots, a doctor, a nurse, and two community members. Several residents were displaced after the crash destroyed homes.
The deceased crew members were identified as Captain Muthuka Munuve, Captain Brian Kimani Miaro, Dr Charles Mugo Njoroge, and Nurse Jane Rispah Aluoch Omusula.
According to AMREF, Captain Munuve had nearly seven years of service and more than 10,000 flight hours on the Cessna Citation XLS and Pilatus PC-12. Captain Miaro, an instructor pilot on the Pilatus PC-12 transitioning to check pilot status, had over 5,800 flight hours. Dr Njoroge had served with AMREF for more than seven and a half years, while Nurse Omusula had been an emergency flight nurse for over four years.
AMREF Flying Doctors CEO described the four as “heroes” who dedicated their careers to bringing hope and medical care to remote and underserved areas.
The organisation said its crisis teams had met with seven families, including those of the affected residents, to provide emotional, psychological, and logistical support. Displaced families have also received non-food essentials such as mattresses, blankets, mosquito nets, and clothing, in partnership with the Kenya Red Cross.
Government pathologists and investigative authorities are working with AMREF to identify all the victims. The Cockpit Voice Recorder and Flight Data Recorder have been recovered, though parts of the FDR are still missing. AMREF has appealed to residents who may have found any debris to surrender it to aid the investigation.
The cause of the crash has not yet been established. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority and other agencies are conducting inquiries.
The accident occurred on August 7, the anniversary of AMREF’s founding in 1957, making the tragedy even more poignant for the organisation
