An internal investigative report by Kenya Airways has revealed how Kenyan pilot manoeuvred to save a plane and its 152 passengers after its engines caught fire mid-air just after leaving the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
The plane, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, was destined for OR-Tambo Airport, in Johannesburg, South Africa when one engine caught fire forcing the pilots to perform an emergency landing at Dar es Salaam.
According to the report, the crew received a one of the engines was overheating as the plane was climbing JKIA.
After reaching a cruising altitude of 38,000 feet, to a fire warning and the pilots began initiating to avoid disaster.
“On completion of the first memory items for FIRE ENG L, the fire warning ceased. They did not discharge the fire bottles as the fire warning had stopped.”
“The crew then completed the remainder of the checklist items and divert to the nearest suitable airport, which was Dar-es-Salaam (HTDA),” the report stated.
All the 142 passengers and 10 crew members landed safely at in Dar es Salaam, 35 minutes after it took off from Nairobi.
