Incident Overview
Date: Thursday 17 May 1962
Aircraft Type: Lockheed C-130A Hercules
Owner/operator: United States Air Force – USAF
Registration Number: 56-0546
Location: ca 32 km W of Nairobi-Embakasi Airport (NBO) –
ÿ Kenya
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 13 / Occupants: 13
Component Affected: C-130 aircraftC-130 aircraft
Category: Accident
A C-130 aircraft carrying support personnel and equipment for the recovery of the Aurora 7 mission crashed into a mountain during poor weather. The aircraft was in a holding pattern over the Ngong (GG) NDB, and initiated a westward leg of the pattern when turning back to the east. It descended below the MEA sector.A C-130 aircraft carrying support personnel and equipment for the recovery of the Aurora 7 mission crashed into a mountain during poor weather. The aircraft was in a holding pattern over the Ngong (GG) NDB, and initiated a westward leg of the pattern when turning back to the east. It descended below the MEA sector.
Description
Crashed into mountain in poor weather. The C-130 carried support personnel and equipment for the recovery team of the Aurora 7, the second American manned orbital flight. Reportedly he C-130 was in a holding pattern at about 11,000 over the Ngong (GG) NDB and had just started the west bound leg of the holding pattern when being cleared for the approach to Nairobi Airport. At that time the crew started the descent on the west bound leg of the holding pattern and when turning back to the east he descended below the MEA for that sector.
Primary Cause
Poor weather conditions and holding pattern execution.Poor weather conditions and holding pattern execution.Share on:
