Two Kenya Airways Embraer 190s have been badly damaged during a ground collision following a mishap during maintenance.
The airline states that the accident occurred at night on 8 February, during a routine engine maintenance check at a Nairobi airport hangar.
One of the aircraft – for reasons yet to become clear – began to move, and collided with another of the same type.
Neither aircraft was in operation at the time, says Kenya Airways, and “no passengers were involved”.
It adds that none of the maintenance personnel suffered injuries during the accident.
Images circulating on social media purporting to show the scene of the collision identify the aircraft as 5Y-KYR and 5Y-FFF.
The geometry of the aircraft in the photographs indicates that 5Y-KYR struck the nose of the other jet, knocking off its radome, and came to rest with its forward fuselage crumpled and pierced. The starboard General Electric CF34 engine of -KYR also rammed the forward fuselage of -FFF.
Both aircraft have received “substantial damage”, says the carrier, and been withdrawn from service pending examination. The images also show a damaged ground-support unit underneath the wing of -KYR.
Flight Fleets Analyzer lists -KYR as a 2011 airframe, leased from Nordic Aviation Capital, while -FFF is younger, built in 2013, and owned by an entity called Samburu.
The airline has not indicated whether either aircraft was occupied by crew or maintenance personnel at the time of the accident.
“Both [aircraft] were scheduled to return to service in the next few days,” says the airline, adding that it will advise passengers if there is any disruption to its operations.
Once investigators have completed inspections of the jets for their inquiry, it adds, repairs will begin.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
