Two Kenya Air Force Officers Killed in Training Aircraft Crash in Kwale

KWALE, Kenya — Two Kenya Defence Forces officers were killed Saturday when their Grob 120A training aircraft crashed in Ndavaya, Kinango area of Kwale County, approximately 27 minutes after takeoff.

The aircraft, with registration KAF 718, departed Mombasa at 11:39 a.m. and crashed at approximately 12:06 p.m. near Mwakijembe Primary School.

The plane was last seen near Diani before disappearing from radar, according to flight records.

The Kenya Defence Forces confirmed the fatalities in a statement, saying the aircraft “experienced an emergency while on a training flight” with two pilots on board. All crew members were killed in the crash, witnesses reported.

Emergency response teams, including Kenya Air Force crash investigators, were swiftly deployed to the scene for search and recovery operations.

Police have secured the area pending investigations into the cause of the accident.

The Grob 120A is a single-engine training aircraft commonly used by air forces worldwide for pilot instruction.

The cause of Saturday’s crash remains unknown as investigations continue.

This marks a tragic loss for the Kenya Air Force, which uses the Grob 120A aircraft as part of its pilot training program.

The KDF has indicated that recovery operations are ongoing at the crash site.